Bethlehem Star Parade This parade was held annually for 20 years on Van Nuys Blvd from 1950-1969, moving north from Oxnard St to Vanowen St. The parade was comprised of anywhere from 34-38 floats, where the age-old Christmas story was brought to life for thousands, as it moved majestically along Van Nuys Blvd, or watched on television. Floats were entered by churches of every denomination and from nearly all of the communities of the San Fernando Valley. According to the Daily News Retrospective, on Dec 11, 1950, an estimated 90,000 people attended the first ever Bethlehem Star Parade. In 1970, a decision was made to end the parade, as only 22 entries could be rounded up. No commercial entries were allowed, and makeup artists from the motion picture industry offered their services to the characters depicted on the floats. During the parade, music was broadcast from each float, and live animals – sheep, goats, donkeys – were also used on many of the floats, a detail which contributed immeasurably to the realism and naturalness of each scene. Photos courtesy of LAPL & USC
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 15:35:59 +0000
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