Thousands of people will be on floats and in bands with tens of thousands more cheering them on as the 2011 Encinitas Holiday Parade rolls along Coast Highway 101 on Saturday, December 3rd. The 5:30 pm parade is preceded by a 5:00 pm treelighting ceremony at the Lumberyard (near Starbucks).
Grand Marshal Don Hansen will lead the approximately 100 entries, all reflecting this year's theme: "Encinitas 25-Celebrating our Beginning." As this year celebrates the City's 25th anniversary of incorporation, the parade will feature additional judging categories for "Best Representation of Community" (New Encinitas, Old Encinitas, Cardiff, Leucadia, Olivenhain) and "Best Representation of the Year 1986" (think Madonna attire, Magnum P.I., big hair).
Don Hansen is a longtime Encinitas icon who started his world-famous Hansen's Surfboards shop in Oahu in 1961 and moved it to Cardiff in 1962. Saying he's a big fan of the community and the annual parade, Hansen notes, "I love living here! Encinitas is still the best little beach town on the West Coast. I'm honored to be Grand Marshal. The parade is great for the community. It gets better every year."
Recreation Supervisor Nick Buck states, "2011 has been an eventful year. Wrapping it up with the one of the community's most popular events is a great way to celebrate everything that Encinitas represents."
Schedule
Treelighting- 5:00 p.m., Lumberyard Courtyard.
Parade- 5:30 p.m., Coast Highway 101, from D Street to J Street.
Logistics- Free shuttle service will be offered at locations near I-5. To avoid congestion, come early and stay late, enjoying nearby shops and restaurants.
