Politics & Government

Windstorm Won't Stop Montrose's Christmas Parade

Locals can still see the 35th Annual Montrose Christmas Parade along Honolulu Avenue this Saturday.

 

, locals can still expect to see jolly St. Nick in a helicopter, dignitaries and hear holiday music at the Montrose Christmas Parade.

“It’s still going on tomorrow and everything’s set,” Michelle Cresto of the Montrose-Verdugo Chamber of Commerce told Montrose Patch. The calls that we’ve gotten about the parade itself are pretty much to inquire that it’s still occurring. Everyone still seems excited about it.”

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Montrose’s 35th Annual Christmas Parade will host about 25,000 people. The parade starts at 6:10 p.m. along Honolulu Avenue, near Ocean View Boulevard, Melinda Clarke, Executive Director of the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce, told Montrose Patch.

Grand marshals are Jack and Helen Nethercutt, owners of the extensive Nethercutt collection of cars and Merle Norman Cosmetics, who will ride in their 1932 Packard. 

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Junior marshal Gavin Dinger, will also ride through the parade on horseback with both of his brothers walking alongside. Gavin suffered a stroke as a baby in his mother’s womb and as a 7-year-old helped to raise about $15,000 for stroke research at for the Glendale News-Press Downtown Dash 5k Run

Other national and local dignitaries include: U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff; Senator Carol Liu; Assembly member Anthony Portantino; Assembly member Mike Gatto; Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich; Glendale city council, including Mayor Laura Friedman, Council member Ara Najarian, Council member Dave Weaver, Council member Frank Quintero, Council member Rafi Manoukian; Glendale Unified School District board; and the Crescenta Valley Town Council.

The parade started back in the early 1950s, when MGM musical star Dennis Morgan produced a holiday afternoon parade that marched down Honolulu Avenue. Jackie Cooper, Jack Crason and other movie star friends of Morgan joined the parade as grand marshals throughout the years. 

More than 700 local boy and girl scouts will march, along with drill teams and bands from surrounding and local communities, Clarke said. Twenty-fire horses, along with vintage automobiles and a group from Walk Bike Glendale will also pass through the parade.

There’s only one official rule from the chamber of commerce. 

“No one is allowed to dress like Santa or the Grinch, it scares the little kids,” Clarke said.

Montrose Patch will cover the event live, as it also streams live, internationally through International Christian Family Network on the Montrose Christmas Parade website. Charter Cable channel 382 will air the parade in the Los Angeles area.


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