Saturday's Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade: What You Need to Know

The 47th annual Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade (theme: "All Together Now") steps off Saturday at 11 a.m. Laguna Beach Patch will be in it (entry #40, 50 spots better than last year! Woo-hoo!), so come say hello, or march with us!

Here are some links to Patch's previous parade Patch coverage:

Last year, photographer Kathy Ochiai snapped a ton of great shots of participants setting up and waiting for the parade to start. Photog Carly Layne also got over 150 lovely pics of the parade as it crept up Forest Avenue.

And here's our coverage from the 2011 parade: Click here for a photo slideshow by Marilynn Young. Click here for another slideshow by Kathy Ochiai. And watch a five-minute video of the parade by clicking right here—we're pretty sure we saw you in it ...

You can participate in this year's coverage by uploading your own parade photos and videos directly to Laguna Beach Patch. You can do that by going to our community gallery -- click here, and upload away! Seriously—go crazy with the uploads!

Also, bring sunblock and water, it may get hot ...

Other vital parade deets:

FABULOUS PARADE DIGNITARIES!

• Grand Marshal: Capt. Jason Ehret, U.S. Navy Seals and a 1984 graduate of Laguna Beach High
• Honored Patriot: Joseph A. Pursch, M.D., a 20-year U.S. Navy veteran
• Citizens of the Year: Bonnie and Arnold Hano, longtime community activists
• Athlete of the Year: Drake Martinez, star player of the Laguna Beach High football team
• Artist of the Year: Pageant of the Masters, celebrating their 80th birthday this year
• Junior Citizens of the Year: Michelle Elizabeth Brown and Brock Csira, both Laguna Beach High seniors

STREET CLOSURES AND PARKING!

Coast Highway and Laguna Canyon Road will be open during the parade, but a handful of downtown streets will be closed from about 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Those roads are:

• Park Avenue (Between Wendt Terrace and Coast Highway)
• Glenneyre (Between Legion Street and Forest Avenue)
• Forest Avenue (Entire length between Coast Highway and Laguna Canyon Road)
• Third Street (Entire length between Park Avenue and Forest Avenue)
• Second Street (Entire length between Mermaid and Forest Avenue)
• Mermaid (Entire length between Second Street and Third Street)

There will be free parking across the street from the Festival of Arts while it lasts (get there early), and parking at Neighborhood Congregational Church for a small fee.

For a map of the parade route, click on the photo box to the upper right and scroll until you see it ...

THE PARADE LINEUP!

1. Laguna Beach Police Motor Escort
2. Parade Banner, Laguna Beach Boy Scouts
3. American Legion/Veterans of Foreign Wars Combined Color Guard
4. 3d Marine Aircraft Wing Band, Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar
5. Parade President Ed Hanke II
6. Parade Theme Banner, Laguna Beach Girl Scouts
7. Grand Marshal Capt. Jason Ehret, U.S. Navy Seal
8. South Orange County Vietnam Veterans
9. Honored Patriot of the Year Joseph A. Pursch, M.D., U.S. Navy
10. Laguna Beach City Council and Officials
11. Citizens of the Year Bonnie and Arnold Hano
12. Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education
13. SchoolPower
14. Laguna Beach High School Band
15. Junior Citizens of the Year Michelle Brown and Brock Csira
16. Laguna Beach High School Alumni Association
17. Athlete of the Year Drake Martinez
18. Laguna Beach Unified School District Elementary Band
19. Artists of the Year “Pageant of the Masters”
20. Pageant of the Masters
21. Bassett High School Band, La Puente
22. Orange County Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution
23. Patience Wright Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution
24. Exchange Club of Laguna Beach
25. Beach Harbor Limousine
26. Kyne Dance Academy of Laguna Beach
27. Laguna Beach Library
28. Ralphs—Laguna Beach
29. Pacific Marine Mammal Center
30. Capistrano Valley Model A Club
31. Laguna Beach Little League
32. San Clemente Scots
33. Laguna Beach Police Department
34. Boy Scout Troop 35/Cub Scout Pack 35
35. Girl Scouts of Laguna Beach
36. Townsend Jr. High School Band, Chino Hills
37. Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Beach
38. La Playa Center/Orange County Model A Ford Club
39. Hobie Sports
40. Laguna Beach Patch.com
41. AIDS Services Foundation
42. Guide Dogs for the Blind, VIP3 Puppy Raisers
43. Laguna Beach Seniors
44. Laguna Beach Community Clinic
45. Laguna Beach Parents Club
46. Mission Hospital—Laguna Beach
47. Laguna Beach Independent/Laguna Beach Magazine
48. Y-Adventure Guides and Sunshine Nation
49. Jurupa Valley High School Band
50. Soroptimist International of Laguna Beach
51. Orange County Affiliate, Susan G. Komen for the Cure
52. So Cal Pitbull Team
53. StuNews Laguna
54. KX 93.5 Radio
55. Rialto Middle School Band
56. Walt and Pam Otto
57. Coastline Pilot
58. Pet Rescue Center
59. Art-a-Fair
60. Laguna News-Post
61. JJ and the Habibis Laguna Beach Belly Dancers
62. No Square Theatre
63. Ruby’s Diner
64. Anything Canine
65. Laguna Playhouse
66. Assistance League of Laguna Beach/Assisteens
67. Laguna Laughter Club
68. Palmdale High School Band
69. Laguna Beach Rotary Club
70. Diamond Crestview Neighbors
71. United Studios of Self Defense
72. Waste Management
73. Laguna Beach Fire Department
74. Laguna Beach Lifeguards
75. Laguna Beach Water Polo Club
76. Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association
77. Tivoli Terrace and Tivoli Too!
78. Ebell Club of Laguna Beach
79. Laguna Coffee Company
80. Foothills Middle School Band, Arcadia
81. Excalibur Car Club
82. HIP District
83. Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce
84. Combined Honors Choruses of Top of the World and El Morro Elementary Schools
85. Laguna Beach Garden Club
86. Laguna Board of Realtors
87. First Team Estates
88. Laguna Escrow Services
89. Oaks Middle School Band, Ontario
90. Dave DePierro
91. Laguna Art Museum
92. Laguna Beach Film Society
93. Highland High School Band, Palmdale
94. Sawdust Art Festival
95. Transition Laguna Beach
96. Growers First—Kids Helping Kids
97. Spurs & Satin

For even more info, click on over to the main Patriot's Day Parade website here.