Saddleback / South Beach : LAGUNA NIGUEL : Olympic Gold Medal Holder to Lead Parade

The city’s fifth annual Holiday Parade is taking shape, with gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Peter Vidmar agreeing to be grand marshal and 15 Southern California marching bands signing on to participate.

On Dec. 10, Vidmar will lead a two-hour parade that will include the United States Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard, equestrian units, drill teams, and community youth and service clubs along Crown Valley Parkway beginning at 10 a.m. The parade will start at Nueva Vista Road and end at Niguel Road.

Vidmar, a Foothill Ranch resident, was captain of the United States men’s gymnastics team that won its first-ever gold medal during the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He is the highest scoring U.S. gymnast in Olympic history and is a member of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sport for the state of California.

The parade will begin a two-day Holiday Festival, set to run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11 at Crown Valley Community Park. The free festival will offer kiddie rides and puppet shows, photos with Santa Claus, international foods, arts and crafts, and live music.