SeeCalifornia.com

In the tradition of other quirky California parades and events such as the Doo Dah Parade in Pasadena, the Bigfoot Parade in Willow Creek and Pegleg Smith Liars Contest in Borrego Springs, Sunset Beach residents have (unofficially) celebrated the holidays each year with a gathering of participants joining in the irreverent NO PARADE. The parade is so unofficial, it may cease to be, in fact.

Formed like so many other events in a community of 1,000 beach residents who once had their own volunteer fire department with a fire engine that led the parade along a two mile route looping between North and South Pacific Avenue, the parade allowed anyone to participate as long as they had some holiday lights on their body, wagon, bicycle, unicycle, golf cart, or vehicle. Ever since the town got annexed last year by a nearby city, things haven’t been the same–no–not even for the NO PARADE! The parade unofficially meets up in a beach parking lot, usually on the third Saturday in December just after dark.  In 2012 we’re keeping tabs to see if NO Parade even happens. If it fails to materialize, it will be a sad moment and loss of one of the great small-town traditions not seen in nearby cities such as Seal Beach where they host a Christmas Parade, or Huntington Beach where they hold an annual boat parade. There’s just “NO” telling what will happen!