Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade set to take to the streets

The fanfare and festivities of the Patriots Day Parade are set to hit the streets of Laguna Beach this weekend, as the 56th annual processional will take place on Saturday.

The parade, which has been held for decades on the first Saturday of March, will feature the theme “Volunteer Heroes.”

Toni Iseman, a longtime member of the Laguna Beach City Council, will serve as the grand marshal.

Those lining the streets can also look for Erin Bevacqua (honored patriot), Ken Aubuchon (citizen of the year), Randy Morgan (artist of the year) and the Laguna Beach Little League Intermediate All-Stars (athletes of the year). Kirra Moore and Chris Hemsley will be recognized as the junior citizens of the year.

“The Patriots Day Parade is always a fun day for our community and for all of those who participate in the parade,” Mayor Bob Whalen said. “I always enjoy our elementary school band and some of the other high school bands, who come from as far away as the Central Valley in some years. And of course, the most inspiring is the United States Marine Band, which leads off the parade.

“I am very excited this year to greet our honored patriot of the year, Maj. Erin Bevacqua. I had the pleasure of coaching Erin in AYSO soccer many years ago when she was growing up here. She was a fantastic young soccer player and no doubt is a great Marine Corps officer, as well.”

The parade route will begin at the intersection of Park Avenue and Legion Street — near Laguna Beach High School — and proceed down Park. Those marching in the parade will make a right turn at Glenneyre Street into downtown, and there will be another right turn onto Forest Avenue, with the parade set to end just past City Hall.

The parade is expected to run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. City officials are expecting heavy traffic ahead of and during the parade on Saturday. Portions of Beach Street, Forest Avenue, Glenneyre Street, Legion Street, Ocean Avenue, Park Avenue, Short Street, Third Street and the Pepper Tree parking lot will be closed off to vehicles from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The farmer’s market at the Lumberyard Parking Lot on Forest Avenue will not take place this weekend, resuming on Saturday, March 11.

A free trolley is available as an alternative means of transportation, the schedule for which can be found at lagunabeachcity.net/trolley.

After a week of significant rainstorms, the forecast for Saturday is for a partly cloudy day with a 10% chance of rain.

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