Mickey Mouse and an elf wave at people watching the 67th annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade Saturday, Dec. 11 in the Wrigley neighborhood of Long Beach. About 20 cars participated in the event. Photo by Fernando Haro.
Generations of families gathered on Daisy Avenue in Long Beach’s Wrigley neighborhood Saturday afternoon to watch the 67th annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade.
Ice cream, candy canes and other treats were tossed into small, social distanced crowds that spread across the Wrigley neighborhood as vehicles adorned in holiday decorations traveled from Wardlow Road to Pacific Coast Highway.
The Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade started in 1953 when Gertrude Whittle persuaded the city council and local churches to help transform a grass median on Daisy Avenue between Pacific Coast Highway and Willow Street into a Christmas village with a nativity scene, according to city history. When city funding dropped in 1977, the parade ended.
Then in 1988, Maria Norvell, known as the mom of Christmas Tree Lane, and the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance worked to bring the event back to life. Since then, the parade has boasted up to 80 participating groups, Norvell said.
Last year, however, the parade was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For this year, Councilmember Roberto Uranga worked with the neighborhood alliance and the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association to create a festive car parade that adhered to local health guidelines.
Longtime Wrigley resident Alex Palma, 33, who moved to the area in 1996, said he remembers watching the Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade growing up.
He said Wrigley has always been festive and that last year was a “bummer” because there was no parade. Now that he is older, Palma understands the importance of the parade and what it means to his kids, who cheered as cars passed by passed by.
“Even though it was short, the kids enjoyed it,” Palma said.
Maria Norvell, the “Mom of Christmas Tree Lane,” acknowledges the crowd during the 67th annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade on Saturday, Dec. 11. Norvell said that this year’s event was more difficult to set up and did not know it it was going to happen because of COVID-19. Photo by Fernando Haro.
Councilmember Roberto Uranga wishes the crowd a merry Christmas during the 67th annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade on Saturday, Dec. 11. This year’s parade included vehicles instead of marching and dancing. Photo by Fernando Haro.
Mickey Mouse and the Grinch share a ride on the Long Beach Trolley during the 67th annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade on Saturday, Dec. 11. This year, the parade was brought directly to the residents of Wrigley. Photo by Fernando Haro.
Children wave to the incoming vehicles as families watch the 67th annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade Saturday, Dec. 11 in the Wrigley neighborhood of Long Beach. Dozens of families gathered and cheered when the parade passed through their street. Photo by Fernando Haro.
Mr. and Mrs. Claus ride through the Wrigley neighborhood in Long Beach for the 67th annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade on Saturday, Dec. 11. Last year, the event was cancelled due to restrictions from local health orders. Photo by Fernando Haro.
Jewels Long Beach, 41, tosses treats into the crowd during the 67th annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade on Saturday, Dec. 11. Jewels Long Beach is a philanthropist and entertainer who has participated in previous parades. Photo by Fernando Haro.
Parade participants ride on a Long Beach Airport car with a reindeer as decoration during the 67th annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade on Saturday, Dec. 11. Several agencies, including the Long Beach Police Department and the Carson Refinery Fire Department, were part of the show. Photo by Fernando Haro.
A parade participant tosses treats to the crowd during the 67th annual Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade on Saturday, Dec. 11 in the Wrigley neighborhood of Long Beach. Photo by Fernando Haro.
