Belmont Shore’s 41st Annual Parade celebrates a cozy Christmas

Second Street lit up the evening in cozy fashion Saturday with a flurry of lights adorning vintage vehicles, instruments and floats at the 41st Annual Belmont Shore Christmas Parade. Thousands of families and visitors descended for the Long Beach tradition to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

Under the direction of the Belmont Shore Business Association, Christmas-themed pajamas and Santa hats were the norm among Saturday’s crowd, as they hoped to break the world record for the most people wearing pajamas at a public event.

The Business Association counted the people wearing pajamas, with 4,040 parade participants and 11,691 spectators on Second Street, with a total of 15,736  pajamas counted during the parade. The organization applied twice to the Guinness World Records and have not heard back, but the event’s previous record was broken according to the Belmont Shore’s Instagram post.

“I always make sure to come out here. The fanfare and the thousands of people coming out from everywhere is great,” said Seal Beach resident Brian Wright, who was not in sleepy attire. “It was great seeing everybody in their pajamas this year, minus myself.” 

Participants in the parade included the Star Wars costume organization 501st Legion, and local businesses such as Gallaghers Pub & Grill and Daniel’s Details, galavanting down Second Street and offering sweets and gifts to children and adults alike. High school marching bands from around Long Beach provided the soundtrack for the evening, along with the legendary Royal Syncopated Regiment Drum Corps.

Various floats showcased their own unique Christmas touch, wowing visitors as they watched through an artificial snow-scattered sky. The Long Beach Fire Department ushered in the main star of the parade, as Santa Claus sat atop a firetruck-turned-sleigh greeting the crowd and kicking off the season of festive parades.