The annual Christmas parade was sponsored by the town of Lake Park. The inaugural event was organized in 1954 in Riviera Beach by Jerry Kelly, a close associate of Gardens' founder John D. MacArthur, and lasted until the early 1990s.
Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, and Lake Park all were represented in the parade, along with various civic and service groups, churches, dance schools, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
The parade began in the parking lot at the Twin City Mall (US Highway 1 & Northlake Boulevard) and continued south on US Highway 1 to Park Avenue, where it turned west, finishing at the railroad tracks.
Hetzel brothers pageant
The Hetzel brothers prepared scenery for the annual Christmas Pageant displayed at MacArthur and Northlake boulevards. After Conrad Hetzel moved to Florida, the pageant was first staged at Currie Park in West Palm Beach, but was moved to Palm Beach Gardens in the 1970s.
— From the Archives
Published Dec. 24, 2023
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