2011 Heart of the Harbor Parade

The Heart of the Harbor Parade was held on Sunday December 11 in Wilmington, Calif. in the early afternoons  of a sunny day.  The parade started at 11 a.m. and went into the early afternoon showing event goers and array of entrees ranging from classic cars driving down Avalon Blvd., to marching bands that include Banning High School and the Long Beach Junior Concert Band (LBJCB).

Parade participants had to show up around an hour before the start of the parade in order to ensure their place in the program.  A few event participants included the Los Angeles Fire Department, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and the Shriners of Long Beach.  Ronald McDonald was actually in attendance as the main attraction for the charities float making sure that he was able to wave and bring a smile to all the children in attendance.

LBJCB had the honor of representing the City of Long Beach in this years parade in fine fashion with well over 70 young members from the Long Beach and Norwalk region.  While the band itself had to meet early at their band hall located on South and Orange Street, the drum section continued their tradition of going to Rudy's Diner located on Anaheim in the industrial district of Wilmington just beyond Ninth Street.  The drummers would play a small show for those at Rudy's who have backed the band in support and allowing the drummers to take up a major portion of the diner and play "loud, thunderous drums" as best said by Rudy's patron, Denise Hofmann of Long Beach, Calif.

The Wilmington parade marks the last holiday parade for LBJCB this parade season and will be taking a much needed break to celebrate the new year and holidays with friends and family.  Lonny Daquiado from LBJCB grew up in Wilmington and remembers going to the parade as a kid and seeing the bands, "The best part of the parade was when I was old enough to be in it because I loved seeing and hearing the crowd when the band came down the street."