Saturday, January 18, 2025
PELICAN BAY — On the afternoon of Dec. 14, Pelican Bay residents were greeted with a Christmas parade just feet from their doorsteps. The annual event saw nearly a dozen entries with many area residents taking part in bringing a little Christmas joy to the ‘Bay.
Pelican Bay Mayor Tamra Olague expressed pride in this year’s efforts and looked forward to bringing the people of Pelican Bay closer for the holiday season.
“We're super excited to be able to bring Santa Claus and the event to the community,” Olague said. “We worked really hard in the last three years establishing more of a community feel here in our city, and we hope that this parade brings us all together so that we can celebrate Christmas as a family and as a city.”
The route began at Positive Impact Ministries and weaved through the city’s streets, going from Pelican Drive to Sandy Beach Road and back, giving residents an opportunity to see the convoy from the comfort of their homes.
The two-hour trek ended about 5 p.m. at Pelican Bay City Hall, where a community Christmas party was held. The city raffled away about 18 bicycles to local children and set up a backdrop for photos with Santa, providing hot chocolate and cookies. With the help of toy drives held by Pelican Bay businesses like Gym 150, about 157 bags of gifts were also distributed. During the course of the parade, teen volunteers hopped off the lead float to make home deliveries of gifts.
