December is officially in motion and holiday celebrations like the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade have already passed us by, but for those who haven’t had their fill of festivities, there are more opportunities to join the community in the season’s spirit.
The Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade has been an institution of Long Beach for 63 years, and the tradition is continuing this Saturday at 5 p.m.
Marching bands and floats will glow as they make their way down Daisy Avenue between Hill Street and Pacific Coast Highway wrapped in Christmas lights. It has been a long-sustained event put on by the 7th District councilman Roberto Uranga, the Port of Long Beach and an array of community sponsors.
Floats will coast through the Wrigley neighborhood, an area that is known for being one of the most decorated streets in Long Beach. Not only do the homes participate in the zealous decorating, even the center divider trees are covered in lights and surrounded by snowmen, reindeer and gingerbread houses.
For the crowd that doesn’t want to drive into the suburbs to get that homey feeling, they can still get their holiday cheer on downtown.
For a different type of parade, head to the shore instead of the sidewalks and enjoy some floats that actually float. The 34th Annual Parade of 1,000 Lights is on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
The parade features boats covered from bow to stern in colorful Christmas lights. It is presented to the community by the Shoreline Yacht Club, but other boat enthusiasts can participate for a $15 fee.
Boats will be visible from just about anywhere where the ocean is visible, but the best places to view the show will be at Shoreline Village, Rainbow Harbor and the Queen Mary.
The route will move into and through Shoreline Marina and on to Rainbow Harbor past Parker’s Lighthouse Restaurant, Pine Avenue Pier and the Queen Mary.
The stress from finals might leed one to forget to enjoy the holiday season until, all of a sudden, it’s Christmas Eve and they’ve forgotten to go shopping. One of these weekend festivities might be just what is needed to get into the spirit.
Grab your scarf and fill your thermos with hot cocoa. December is here.