The glow of the holiday spirit penetrated Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach on Dec. 7 during the 34th annual OB Holiday Parade. Photo by Don Balch I The Beacon

The parade adventure captivated the minds of youngsters with sugarplums dancing in their heads with promises from Santa, holding a pooch with antlers. Photo by Don Balch I The Beacon

Hokule’a girls strut their stuff for the crowd. Photo by Don Balch I The Beacon

With political dances in the minds of San Diegans, even politicos got into the act during the parade. Interim Mayor Todd Gloria was voted officially as City Council president on Dec. 10, Photo by Don Balch I The Beacon

With political dances in the minds of San Diegans, even politicos got into the act during the parade, including District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer, who will soon go head-to-head with opponent David Alvarez in a runoff election for mayor of San Diego. Photo by Don Balch I The Beacon

With political dances in the minds of San Diegans, even politicos got into the act during the parade, including District 8 City Councilman David Alvarez, who will soon go head-to-head with opponent Kevin Faulconer of District 2 in a runoff election for mayor of San Diego. Photo by Don Balch I The Beacon

Newport Avenue was once again the place to be during the Ocean Beach 34th annual Holiday Parade, with twinkling lights, glowing floats and hundreds of excited holiday spectators. Creativity abounded with the usual Ocean Beach flavor — from street-dancing elves to this holiday-themed boat out of water. Photo by Don Balch I The Beacon

With surf culture being a huge part of the Ocean Beach lifestyle, parade participants can always expect a flotilla of classy, lighted Woodies that are so representative of the history of bygone surf culture days. Just to capture the spirit of the holidays, the driver of this Woody donned a festive Santa cap.

Boy Scouts and adult leaders represent Troop 24 during the parade with what appears to be an oversize holiday canoe. Photos by Don Balch I The Beacon

Chopper the Bike Dog, a regular at many local events, enjoys a ride down Newport Avenue during the parade. Chopper is quite the celebrity with his ability to stay focused on the cycle.

The chilly parade conditions prompted spectators to bundle up as they enjoyed the festivities, like these young ladies representing Point Loma High School. Photos by Don Balch I The Beacon

Parade spectators were treated to this float from Wonderland (site of the former Nick’s at the Pier). Wonderland pays homage to Ocean Beach history, adopting the name of the 100-year-old Wonderland, the city’s first amusement park, which, tragically, was washed away by a torrential storm. The restaurant pays tribute to the original amusement park with historic photos of what once was a major draw for San Diegans in 1913.