Laguna Beach Patriot’s Day Parade organizers eye March 5 for 55th annual celebration
Organizers of the Laguna Beach Patriot’s Parade — an event held to honor the nation and the contributions of hometown heroes — announced Friday they are officially seeking nominations for honorees for the 55th annual parade, to be held March 5.
Started in 1967 by the Patience Wright chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the parade honors those who serve their country and their community and aims to instill in young generations a sense of civic pride, duty and service, organizer Sandi Werthe said Friday.
“It keeps us together,” she said of the spirit of patriotism. “I have a flag outside my house every day, and several of my neighbors do as well. It’s important for us to support our country.”
The parade takes place the first Saturday in March. Organizers were lucky in 2020 to have been able to pull off one last show before pandemic closures were put in place.
After being forced to cancel this year’s celebration out of an abundance of caution, Werthe said she and her colleagues are trying to remain optimistic plans for the year ahead will hold.
“We’re just going to cross our fingers and toes and hope everything turns out for the best,” she added. “This [year] is important to us, because 55 is a good number. We’d like to keep it going.”
Next year’s theme will be “Toward Community and Unity.” Locals are invited to nominate someone they know in one of several honoree categories, including Grand Marshal, Citizen of the Year and Artist of the Year. A special category, Patriot of the Year, is open to current or former members of the U.S. military.
Nominations, with honorees’ background and local affiliations, may be emailed to shworthy@cox.net by Nov. 1. Updates will be posted online at lagunabeachparade.org.
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