Santa’s Parade of Elves will march down Sunset Drive in South Miami for the 30th year on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. The community’s favorite event is a glorious start to the holiday season.
Music will fill the air as local high school marching bands go by. Talented dancers and cheerleaders will be dancing in the streets. Stunning cars and motorcycles will rumble down the parade route. The graceful prancing horses are always crowd favorites. And beauty queens and a cast of characters will delight parade onlookers.
Emmy Award winning journalist and NBC 6 news anchor Pam Giganti will serve as the parade’s Grand Marshall. Driving her in the parade in one of his antique cars will be none other than Bob Mayor, Ms. Giganti’s previous co-anchor at NBC 6 and a fixture in the South Florida TV market for four decades.
South Miami Hospital and Red Sunset Merchants Association will have festive floats in the parade, and Santa Claus will make his grand appearance on the First National Bank of South Miami float. South Miami city officials, South Miami law enforcement, including the Honor Guard and Police Explorers, along with Miami-Dade firefighters will also spread holiday cheer.
But the stars of the parade, as always, are the children. Hundreds of them, including Girl Scouts, Brownies and Daisies, youth groups and community elves will be dressed in delightful holiday costumes, smiling, marching and waving to the crowds.
Veronica Birch Flores, Executive Vice President of First National Bank of South Miami, (FNBSM), served as this year’s parade committee chairperson. For months, the committee has worked tirelessly to secure participants, plan logistics and ensure safety.
This year’s parade committee is comprised of Maria Stout-Tate, Carmen Baker and Yvette Valdes from the City of South Miami; Christine Stiltner Angulo and Rooney Brodie from South Miami Hospital; Renee Aldonza and Mercedes Cruz from FNBSM; Mary Scott Russell, President of Chamber South; John Sorgie from Sunset Quickprint; and Hans Huseby from FootWorks.
“This parade is a beloved holiday tradition, and the team at First National Bank of South Miami is so proud to be a part of it each year,” said Ms. Flores. “It’s a wonderful way for children and their families to celebrate the season. It also showcases the many talented members of our community, as well as our beautiful downtown South Miami and its vibrant restaurants, shops and businesses.”
