Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn\u2019t go? Who wouldn\u2019t go to the Belmont Shore\u2019s most beloved yuletide tradition: the 38th annual Christmas Parade on Second Street.<\/p>\n
The spectacle of lights and glitter will promenade through the 15-block seaside business district on Saturday, Dec. 3. Organized by the Belmont Shore Business Association, thousands of families watch the parade each year, getting a sentimental feeling as they wave at the more than 100 elaborately decorated floats and walking entries \u2014 including Santa, in his festooned sleigh atop a fire engine, as the grand finale.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a certain small-town \u2018It\u2019s a Wonderful Life\u2019 feel to this Christmas Parade, but it\u2019s also no small spectacle,\u201d BSBA Executive Director Heather Kern said. \u201cFamilies in Long Beach have made this one of the city\u2019s largest special events and a not-to-be-missed holiday tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the high school marching bands, drill teams, elected city leaders and local beauty pageant titleholders, there are clear crowd favorites that return year after year, representing a who\u2019s who of local businesses and organizations.<\/p>\n
It takes more than a month of designing and decorating for the staff at the Aquarium of the Pacific to transform their animal rescue truck into a festive float, which is ridden by performing marine animal puppets. The puppets, wearing holiday costumes, include Seamore Shark, Elsie Sweetmitten (an otter), and Captain Hershel Quinn (a hermit crab), among others.<\/p>\n
The aquarium has participated in the parade since its opening in 1998, and this year\u2019s float promises \u201cto be a splash\u201d with a lot of bubbles, said the Aquarium of the Pacific\u2019s Sarah Berman.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to bring something really fresh and magical, and this is going to be really colorful,\u201d said Berman, who acts as the aquarium\u2019s Pacific Pals puppet show manager and creative producer. \u201cIt is just pure magic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also promenading through Belmont Shore will be the SoCal Corgi Nation, a group of dog lovers and their short-legged friends who\u2019ve walked, or been pulled in tiny wagons, in the Second Street parade since 2013. The late Queen Elizabeth\u2019s favorite type of dog, the Corgis come in royal style, wearing various combinations of sparking hats, bows and felt reindeer antlers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe parade is one of our favorite events of the year, and we encourage the humans and the Corgis to dress up,\u201d SoCal Corgi Nation Founder Kelly McLemore said, noting that there will be a special miniature float being pulled alongside the dogs. \u201cThe Corgis are ready to march and bring big smiles to everybody\u2019s faces.\u201d<\/p>\n
Besides dogs in jingle bells, Second Street itself \u2014 home to more than 250 independent businesses \u2014 is decked with lights and Long Beach-centric d\u00e9cor this time of year, with views of Long Beach\u2019s Trees in the Bay and other quintessential SoCal Christmas decorations, such as lit palm trees.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I want for Christmas is for people visit Second Street and see what it\u2019s all about,\u201d Kern said. \u201cThere\u2019s no place like Belmont Shore for the holidays.\u201d<\/p>\n