I know it’s only June but my favorite holiday of all time is Christmas. Here in L.A., the most famous parade during this season is the Hollywood Christmas Parade. Growing up, sitting on the streets of Hollywood and Sunset was a tradition for my family. As we grew older, we didn’t go as much unless someone super famous that we wanted to see was going to be a part of the parade. One headliner I purposely went to go see was 98 degrees back in 1998. Those were the days when I liked boy bands. Oh wait…I still do!
Another reason we stopped going was because for safety reasons. Though there are many police and law enforcement on this particular night, Hollywood has definitely gotten more crazy in the past 10 years. First starting in 1928, the Hollywood Christmas Parade was created to boost shopping in Hollywood. The years to follow had some ups and downs for the parade. As it got harder to have celebrities be a part of the parade and the cost of the parade itself getting higher, simultaneously people slowly stopped going. Many times, the city thought about cancelling the parade but with this parade being such a historical annual event, it has somehow continued with the support of many people of Hollywood pushing it along. There have been several name changes to the parade title itself. Past celebrities who have been a part are Gene Autry, Natalie Wood, Sammy Davis Jr., Ron Howard, Charlton Heston, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Magic Johnson and Marie Osmond.
Last year, my mom, my husband and I went to the parade because my sister was going to be a part. She works at the Natural History Museum in L.A. and as a promotion for the new Dinosaur exhibit, they needed staff to assist the HUGE T-Rex balloon down the streets of Hollywood. I had not idea who was going to be in the parade and as cars and floats passed by, I realized I didn’t know half of the celebrities! I think the majority of the stars were those on the Disney Channel. I felt so old! Then it happened…from WAY down the street I saw them. Guys wearing a white mask riding in awesome cars! I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was the famous dance crew from ABDC’s first season, the Jabbawockeez! I am a huge, huge fan so this was a such a surprise. I was so happy. I snapped pictures and took videos. It was so much fun. If you haven’t seen their show in Las Vegas, you must! Even if you’re not a big dance fan, it is really entertaining. Here’s a clip from the parade.
Before the parade, there are street vendors that come around selling popcorn, drinks, candy and cotton candy but during the parade, there is no food. You either have to bring your own, which is what my family did always or walk to a nearby fast food place. Because of this, many people opt not to eat until after the parade. The parade is roughly 2 hours long. As we were walking back to the car, this one street vendor who decided to set up shop on a street corner was jam packed! Though I was starving, I am quite hesitant eating from one of these vendors. That didn’t stop others from buying. Lucky day for him.
