Caroling With Clydesdales, A Sonoma Valley Holiday Tradition

GLEN ELLEN, CA — Pouring rain Sunday did not dampen the spirits of families and kids who gathered for the 17th annual Caroling with the Clydesdales — because who needs clear skies and reindeer? Not members of this crowd. They perked right up as Santa Claus, umbrella in hand, magically arrived in Glen Ellen aboard a wagon that in true Sonoma Valley Wine Country fashion was pulled by two gigantic black-and-white Clydesdale horses.

Hot cocoa and cookies were provided inside the warm Jack London Saloon as children waited to board Santa's "sleigh" and ride through a nearby neighborhood to sing holiday songs with Santa and his helpers — one strumming a guitar for the holiday occasion.

Neil Shepard, great nephew of the famed writer Jack London, provided the majestic Clydesdales for Santa's jaunt through Sonoma Valley.

Photos by Al Francis/Napasonomaphotos.com