Manhattan Beach Golf Cart Parade Was 'A Freakin' Blast'
Nov 01, 2020 11:54AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
From a pirate ship, to a race car, to a PacMan-mobile... Manhattan Beach's Halloween golf cart parade was a colorful spectacle that brought out participants and spectators of all ages.
All told, more than 40 golf carts participated in the parade [See 75+ photos in attached gallery]. Organizer Shawn Giaconi said she hopes it will be the start of a new Manhattan Beach Halloween tradition.
"We had a freakin' blast!" Giaconi told DigMB. "It
was absolutely incredible to see the looks on people's faces when we
cruised through town. People of all ages had huge smiles and waved
excitedly while we passed them by. It was amazing!"
Giaconi added, "The golf
cart drivers and passengers were also amazing and extremely grateful
for the experience. Their happiness and comments made my heart smile the
entire day. 100% this will be a new Halloween tradition."
Giaconi got the inspiration for the parade after her family got a golf cart last year. She decided that she wanted to create events for other
local families, so she started a group called the Manhattan Beach Golf Cart Crew.
The group's first official outing was the Halloween parade, which Giaconi and her family carefully organized, handing out Halloween gift bags and parade route maps for each participant.
The only thing she would change for future events, she said, is possibly getting a police escort next time to help the group travel safely together.
But the success of Sunday's event inspired her to do more. So pay attention, golf cart owners: Giaconi's future ideas include a November drive-in movie night, a Christmas parade, a St. Patrick’s Day parade, an Easter scavenger hunt, something special for Mother's Day, a Memorial Day Parade, something special for Father's Day, a Fourth of July parade, a Labor Day parade, and of course continuing on with the Halloween parade tradition. (Email them at [email protected] to get on the list.)
"During today's climate, it truly was special to bring joy to our community. I'm more than excited to host more events," she said.