Ella Suos

Escorted by a truck were enthusiastic elves in a yacht blowing kisses and waving to the cozy hometown of Seal Beach.

SEAL BEACH, CA — Last Saturday night, Seal Beach locals celebrated their annual Christmas parade. Although Seal Beach Blvd. was relatively congested, on the sidewalks of Main St. and its bordering streets, a diverse group of people were still able to enjoy the festive air of the parade.

Many families were able to watch their kids either dance or march behind a banner while those not in the parade crowded the curbs. From the Seal Beach Leo Club making their big debut to the waltzing Elvis Presley, Seal Beach got to appreciate much more than just traditional Christmas blues. 

Before the parade started, restaurants, including Finbars Italian Kitchen and O’Malley’s On Main, were bombarded with hungry visitors. Middle schoolers rode their e-bikes and claimed the dark shores bordering the grassy beach path, while country singers set up in front of outdoor restaurants. The Marine honor guard lined up before the awe-struck town, marking the opening of the parade.

Many festive groups followed this auspicious opening. Led by President and Los Alamitos High School student Kyan Whiten in a festive convertible, The Seal Beach Leo Club, an organization that contributes to the Los Al “Every 15 Minutes” program, had their members walk behind a big banner and throw candy to little children lining the parade route. Seal Beach Pony Baseball and other youth communities followed.

Freelance musicians strummed electric guitars on top of a monster truck, playing rock and roll Christmas songs. An Elvis-themed group ushered in nostalgic dance moves with old-time pop tunes. Marching bands, some professional and even out-of-state, undeniably played with great passion.

There were many sights to see throughout the parade that brought delight and shock to viewers. The variety of float types ranging from yachts to school buses was especially impressive, as was the arrival of Santa Claus within the scoop appendage of a Seal Beach garbage truck. 

The Los Al advanced dance program starred in “Oh Santa!” by Mariah Carey.

“The parade was honestly so fun! We got to dance down the street and hand out candy to little kids, and I just love Christmas so I loved it,” said Dasha Fallon, an advanced dancer for Los Al. Although the hardworking dancers left the street courageously and gracefully, many of them thought the choreography was too tiring, which made it impossible to focus on the stillness of the crowd. 

“Dancing in the Seal Beach parade was a lot of fun; however, it was also really hard. The choreography was simple but very cardio-heavy, so it was tiring even after just one time. We had to repeat the dance about three and a half times,” said senior Tessa Meider, an advanced dancer. “This is the only time I’ve ever gone to the parade, and I was pretty focused on memorizing my steps, but you could say I felt some Christmas cheer when it was over.”

Overall, everyone in Seal Beach had the pleasure of enjoying themselves.