28th Annual Christmas Parade -- Belmont Shore
Last Saturday on December 4th, an estimated 50,000 people lined the 15 block stretch of 2nd Street in Belmont Shore for the 28th annual Christmas parade that has become a neighborhood holiday tradition.
All 75 + entries were encouraged to embrace this year's "Twinkle with the Stars" theme. Entries included marching bands, local personalities and dignitaries, and floats representing Long Beach businesses and associations. Leading the parade, was Knott's Berry Farm's, Snoopy, and bringing the parade to a close was of course, Santa Claus. To capture the best parade view, families and friends came two hours early to set up their chairs and coolers along the sidewalks and medians of 2nd Street.
For many spectators I embraced, this was not their first parade. When asked how many years they had been coming to the parade, responses varied anywhere from 1 year to 40 years. I asked Pauline, the store owner of Saga, a clothing boutique on 2nd Street, how many years she had been attending the parade, her answer was 24 years. Most said the parade has been a long-time family tradition, an event their family looks forward to sharing with each other every year.
So next holiday season when you're looking for a way to bring your family and friends closer together, bring them to Belmont Shore's Christmas parade, to capture an amazing evening of decorative floats and talented marching bands.
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