The 27th Annual Belmont Shore Christmas Parade will come to town Saturday, Dec. 5 at a new time of 7pm. A celebrated holiday tradition, the parade features approximately 100 entries, including marching bands, local personalities and dignitaries, floats representing Long Beach businesses and associations, and of course, Santa Claus.
This year’s parade theme is “A Magical, Musical Christmas.” Entries are encouraged to embrace the theme through the decoration of their floats and costumes. Last year’s theme of “A Water Wonderland” brought mermaids, sea life, water sports and more. Last year’s award winners were Kiwanis Club of Long Beach, Colorado Lagoon Playgroup, and Shoreline Village.
The Belmont Shore Business Association (BSBA), which is sponsoring the event, has selected Musical Theater West Executive Director Paul Garman as the parade’s grand marshal.
This year’s junior grand marshal is Daniel Curtis Lee, a young actor and resident of Long Beach who is best known for his role as Cookie in Nickelodeon’s Ned Declassified. Lee currently stars in Disney XD’s Zeke and Luther, in which he plays Kojo.
With an estimated 50,000 people lining the 15-block stretch of Second Street, much effort and preparation goes into closing the street to the approximately 40,000 vehicles that travel it daily. The BSBA has sought to find solutions that would allow East Second Street to remain open later to traffic and patrons for Shore businesses, so the parade will kick off an hour later than the traditional starting time of 6pm. The following are the affected streets and the times of their closures:
• Livingston Avenue will be closed from Ocean Boulevard to East Second Street at 4pm for the purpose of staging entrants.
• Side streets from Quincy Avenue to Claremont Avenue will be closed from Second Street to north and southbound to the alleys starting at 4pm.
• East Second Street will close from Livingston Avenue to Bayshore Avenue at 5pm.
Along with the change in closure time comes the need for spectators to refrain from setting up chairs and blankets until 5pm to coincide with the closure. The Long Beach Police Department has made this request for the purpose of protecting public safety and allowing pedestrian access along the sidewalk. Additionally, areas may not be “roped off.” Such obstacles and possessions may be removed by the police and taken to the Bay Shore Library for pick up after the event.
More Information
www.BelmontShore.org
(562) 434-3066
