Patriots Day Parade Steps Off

The first of 92 entries in the Patriots Day Parade set out at 11 a.m. from Park Avenue at Legion Street on Saturday, March 3.

To accommodate the parade, traffic on several downtown streets – Forest, Ocean, Beach, Third, Glenneyre, Short, Legion and Park – will be closed to traffic until the parade’s end at 1:30 p.m.

Gloria Fickling, co-author of the Honey West detective novels, leads the parade as grand marshal. George Ciampa serves as its patriot of the year and Heidi Miller as its citizen of the year. Instead of honoring a single artist, as in the past, parade organizers conferred artist of the year on Laguna Art Museum, marking its 100^th year.

Free public parking will be available at lots adjacent to City Hall as the weekly farmer’s market is cancelled. The city’s bus service will maintain its regular Saturday schedule with the exception of bypassing the Community and Susi Q Center stop during the parade. The free weekend trolley will begin 30 minutes earlier than usual, at 9 a.m., to help alleviate expected congestion. The trolleys will run along North Coast Highway from Cajon Street heading south on Cliff Drive and South Coast Highway, making all stops to the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point. Free neighborhood trolleys will be operating on normal schedules and routes, which begin at 9:30 a.m.

Who’s in the Lineup for the 52^nd Patriots Day Parade

1. Laguna Beach Police Motor Escort
2. Parade Banner carried by Girl Scouts
3. Parade Theme Banner carried by Boy Scouts
4. American Legion/Veterans of Foreign Wars Combined Color Guard
5. 3d Marine Aircraft Wing Band, Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar
6. Parade Committee
7. Grand Marshal Gloria Fickling
8. South Orange County Vietnam Veterans
9. Honored Patriot of the Year George Ciampa
10. Laguna Beach High School Band
11. Laguna Beach City Council
12. Citizen of the Year Heidi Miller
13. Thurston Middle School Band
14. Laguna Beach Unified School District
15. Junior Citizens Marisa Schatz and Joseph Ravenna
16. School Power
17. Laguna Beach Unified School District Elementary Band
18. Artists of the Year Laguna Art Museum
19. Laguna Art Museum
20. Athletes of the Year L.B. Water Polo Foundation Girls Junior Olympics Champs
21. Laguna Beach Water Polo Foundation
22. Los Angeles Scots Pipe Band
23. Exchange Club of Laguna Beach
24. O.C. Chapter, Sons of American Revolution
25. Patience Wright Chapter, Daughters of American Revolution
26. Norco Cowgirls & Little Miss Norco Cowgirls
27. Rotary Club of Laguna Beach
28. Laguna Beach Garden Club
29. Palmdale High School Band
30. Laguna Woods Senior Clown Alley
31. Tivoli Terrace/Tivoli Too
32. StuNewsLaguna
33. Pageant of the Masters
34. Sawdust Art Festival
35. The American Cowgirls Drill Team
36. Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Beach
37. La Playa Center
38. Capistrano Valley Model A Club
39. Anneliese Schools
40. U.S. Bank
41. H.I.P. District
42. Laguna Beach Seniors
43. SoCal Artomobile Club
44. Blue Bell Foundation for Cats
45. Laguna Beach Police Department
46. Oak Avenue Middle School Band, Temple City
47. YMCA Adventure Guides
48. Ability Awareness Project; Learn to Stop Bullying
49. Pacific Marine Mammal Center
50. Assistance League of Laguna Beach
51. Townsend Jr. High Band, Chino Hills
52. Laguna Beach Little League
53. Ebell Club of Laguna Beach
54. World War II Rangers Lead the Way
55. Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach
56. Boy Scout Troop 35/Cub Scout Pack 35
57. Laguna Beach Girl Scouts
58. Laguna Beach Fire Department
59. Laguna Beach Lifeguard Department
60. Laguna Presbyterian Preschool
61. Bassett High School Band, La Puente
62. Laguna Beach County Water District
63. Kyne Dance Academy of Laguna Beach
64. Laguna Laughter Club
65. United Studios of Self Defense Laguna Beach Dojo
66. Laguna Playhouse
67. HIV Aids Advisory Committee
68. KX93.5 FM
69. JJ and the Habibis Laguna Beach Belly Dancers
70. Mater Dei High School Band, Santa Ana
71. St. Catherine of Sienna School
72. Mission Hospital—Laguna Beach
73. Laguna Beach Community Clinic
74. No Square Theatre
75. Barstow Jr. High Band
76. Laguna College of Art and Design
77. Laguna Board of Realtors
78. Top of the World/El Morro Elementary Honors Chorus
79. Radiant Health Centers
80. Main Street Bar & Cabaret
81. Laguna Classic Cars
82. Laguna Food Pantry
83. Laguna Tunes Community Chorus
84. LOCA
85. Ruby’s, Laguna Beach
86. Ralphs
87. Eastside High School Band, Lancaster
88. Beach Cities Auto Collision
89. Susan G. Komen, Orange County
90. Top of the Hill Gang
91. Waste Management
92. Spurs and Satin