Holiday music could be heard throughout the Wrigley neighborhood as the reimagined Daisy Lane Christmas Parade wound through the residential streets on Saturday, Dec. 11.
“It was nice, getting back to reality or something normal,” said Judith Ornelas, a local resident who watched the parade from the sidewalk with her family. “Last year they didn’t have it. It’s pretty good.”
The annual parade was cancelled last year due to the ongoing pandemic, but organizers changed the route this year so that local residents could watch from their front yards.
“I’m so excited to be part of the Daisy Lane Christmas parade today,” said well-known drag queen Jewels. “It’s so awesome as we find a way to adapt to a new normal, and we can bring love and joy to all these amazing folks in this wonderful neighborhood of Long Beach.”
The parade route lasted four hours, slowly going up and down each street as families watched and waved. Vehicles belonging to the Long Beach police and fire departments, local businesses, parade organizers and more participated, blaring “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” “I Have a Little Dreidel,” and “Feliz Navidad.”
The sidewalks were dusted with a layer of soap sud snow shot from a machine by Kelly Bray.
“I’m pretty happy,” Bray said shortly before the parade began. “This is the first time I’ve been in the Daisy Lane Christmas parade since my kids were in scouting and we used to be part of the regular parade, so I’m looking forward to this.”
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