Bright Christmas: Optimist parade lights Pier Park

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The annual Panama City Beach Optimist Club Christmas Parade will roll through the streets of Pier Park starting at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Registration to participate in the parade is free, and there's no cost to enjoy it from the sidewalks. Donations will be used to support the Optimist Club of the Beaches' Childhood Cancer Program. 

The parade will marshal at the Pier Park Walmart, go south on Powell Adams Road, turn right (west) onto Front Beach Road, and turn right into Pier Park. It will travel through Pier Park and terminate in back at the Walmart parking lot. Pier Park will place barriers at key locations to ensure the parade route is clear, which means those arriving by car should expect to find many routes closed as parade time approaches.

Last year, the Optimist Club had 80 entrants ranging from a group of two people walking to support their political candidate, to high school marching bands, to the Panama City Beach Fire Department fire trucks, according to a post at the Optimist website (PCBOptimist.com). Most entrants were medium sized (20 or fewer participants) and were self-contained, either walking en masse, riding their own vehicles (such as the Corvette Club), a flatbed truck (as used by many church groups), or a tow-behind trailer (like those used by the area football teams). Beach Mosquito Control and the Panama City Beach Fire Department sported the largest vehicles.

Most entrants tossed candy to the crowds. This year, parade organizers have asked that any items to be distributed like that should be lightly tossed to the crowd on the sidewalk.

Optimist International is an association of more than 2,600 Optimist Clubs around the world dedicated to “Bringing Out the Best in Kids,” according to their website. Adult volunteers join Optimist Clubs to conduct positive service projects in their communities aimed at providing a helping hand to youth. With their upbeat attitude, Optimist Club members help empower young people to be the best that they can be. 

The Optimist Club of the Beaches does its part through a number of charity programs and community projects. It puts on a Christmas shopping event every year for underprivileged families, allowing children from selected families to shop for everyday necessities on the Optimist budget. The event benefits 50 children selected from a combined effort with Beach Care Services. Walmart in Pier Park hosts the shopping event every year.

The Optimist Club of the Beaches was founded in Panama City Beach on June 19, 1963. Weekly Wednesday breakfast meetings start at 7 a.m. at Mike's Cafe, 17554 Front Beach Road.

When: 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10

Where: Pier Park Drive through Pier Park in Panama City Beach

Details: PCBOptimist.org or Facebook.com/PCBOptimist

Beach's Christmas Parade