The first Kiwanis Club Pet Parade strolled, rolled and pranced down Main and State streets in 1947. To commemorate the event’s 75th anniversary, the Los Altos History Museum is bringing back decades of parade memories in its latest exhibition, “Kiwanis Pet Parade: Celebrating 75 Years of Community,” on display in the gallery of the J. Gilbert Smith House Thursday through July 10.
The exhibition presents a dual history of the Pet Parade and the Los Altos Kiwanis Club and its accomplishments. The annual tradition predates the local branch – it began with the Kiwanis Club of Mountain View, which wanted a safe route for children and pets to walk. They settled on downtown Los Altos. The success of that first parade inspired local business leaders to form the Los Altos chapter of the Kiwanis Club.
Elisabeth Ward, the museum’s executive director, serves as the local Kiwanis Club’s president this year.
“The museum is delighted to collaborate with the Kiwanis Club of Los Altos and its long-term members, pulling on their collective wisdom of this very important tradition,” she said. “Founded before the establishment of the city of Los Altos, the parade is one of the cornerstone events for setting the tone of our local culture, which is very friendly and down-to-earth.”
The exhibition draws heavily on the museum’s collection of photographs of past Pet Parades. With several decades featured, visitors are likely to recognize someone in the photos. Also included are what exhibition organizers called “fun and surprising elements meant to capture the humor of the parade.”
“The Pet Parade was always meant to be fun and oriented toward kids. The exhibit is trying to convey that spirit,” Ward said. “These kinds of volunteer-driven community events are the heart and soul of why Los Altos is such a special city.”
The museum’s main building is closed during construction of the new Permanent Exhibition, but the J. Gilbert Smith House remains open at 51 S. San Antonio Road noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Docents are available to lead tours of the historical farmhouse, and a boutique is open for business inside. A portion of the “Kiwanis Pet Parade” exhibition will be viewable on the porch daily.
For more information, visit losaltoshistory.org/petparade.
