Huntington Park : Christmas Parade Canceled

Citing high operational costs, the Huntington Park City Council has ended a 38-year tradition by canceling the Christmas Lane Parade.

The main expense for the parade--held the first Saturday in December along Pacific Boulevard and Florence Avenue--is television coverage, which was expected to be at least $50,000. Other expenses are insurance, security and cleanup.

The cancellation is a “shocker,” Mayor Pro Tem Tom Jackson said, but he said the council could not justify spending upwards of $100,000 from general funds to sponsor the parade.

“We decided the benefit was not there to spend $100,000 or more on the parade,” Jackson said, noting that the event was primarily a “publicity vehicle” for the city. Jackson also pointed out that the number of volunteers who helped in past years’ efforts has steadily dwindled. “It needed more local cooperation,” he said.

The parade--which cost about $60,000 last year and was televised on Channel 56--featured marching bands from all over California, and television and movie celebrities who rode in antique cars and floats entered by local organizations.