The Belmont Shore Christmas Parade is all set to take over Second Street for the 34th consecutive year with “A Candy Land Christmas” from 6:00PM to 9:00PM on Saturday, December 3. Starting at Livingston Drive, parade participants will march down East Second Street accompanied by over a dozen local marching bands.
Presented by the Port of Long Beach (POLB), the parade will feature floats to be judged based on spectator appeal, execution of the theme and originality of design. The event will also pay special tribute to Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) K-9 officers, in honor of K-9 Officer Credo, who lost his life to friendly fire earlier this year.
Parade announcers will include Bruce MacRae, vice president of State Government Affairs for the West Region of UPS, who just last year survived a heart attack, Misty May Treanor, three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Dede Rossi, executive director of the Belmont Shore Business Association. The announcers will be conducting interviews on the street for Charter Spectrum, which will be televising the parade.
Over 100 parade entrants, including Long Beach businesses and associations, marching bands, local personalities and dignitaries, will fill the streets and delight the enthusiastic crowd that never fails to attend.
Members of the Long Beach College Promise initiative will be riding in a classic convertible Lincoln Continental along with Molina Healthcare, Inc.
“Local parades are a fun way to engage the community and celebrate the many benefits of the Long Beach College Promise,” said Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) President Jane Close Conoley in a statement. “We are excited to partner with Molina Healthcare to extend the promise of a college education to all Long Beach youth and to improve the overall health of the communities we serve.”
The Long Beach College Promise extends the promise of a college education to every student in the Long Beach Unified School District. This award-winning initiative is transforming the lives of students and the city’s economic future by placing higher education within reach for all students.
“We’re excited to be a part of the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade this year with The Long Beach College Promise,” said John Molina, chief financial officer for Molina Healthcare, in a statement. “Our parents started off as school teachers so education has always been an important value to us,” he said. “We are committed not only to providing access to high-quality healthcare to the underserved, but also in creating a healthier community here.”
Belmont Shore side streets will be closed at 4:00PM and Second Street will be closed to traffic by 5:00PM. No property, including chairs, blankets, tables, coolers or tape, is permitted on the sidewalk or center medians before 5:00PM. All items will be removed and taken to Bayshore Library for pick-up after the event.
For more information about the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade, visit the Facebook event page here.