During Bixby Knolls’ busy First Fridays event, the beer trolley would shuttle people up and down Atlantic Avenue to various restaurants and other spots.
But like all other public events, the neighborhood’s First Fridays night has been shut down due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The vehicle formerly known as the beer trolley, however, continues to roll on as the main attraction in a monthly street parade shuttling passengers like Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the Easter Bunny and even Donald Duck and Goofy around Bixby Knolls and the surrounding areas on the first Friday of every month.
“We wanted to create something so the neighborhood could have some kind of joy, even just for a few minutes as it passes by,” said Blair Cohn, executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association, which organizes First Fridays.
The long-running First Fridays event is very popular in the neighborhood with hundreds of people showing up on Atlantic Avenue to hear live music, stroll through stores and eat at the many restaurants that line the street.
When it had to shut down in March, Cohn wanted to still do something that would unite the neighborhood, so he decided to hire characters to ride the trolley through the area on the first Friday of the month until the regular event can start again.
The trolley’s route varies each month so Cohn recently added an app on the Association website so people can see the trolley’s route and track where the vehicle is in real time.
With music blaring, the first trolley parade in April featured the Easter Bunny onboard while the next month saw the addition of Mickey and Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters hopped on board for subsequent parades.
The parade now includes a small caravan of classic cars and other vehicles, including an ice cream truck that passes out treats.
“The neighborhood has a way to celebrate and feel normal even for a short period of time when this crazy loud caravan is coming through their street,” Cohn said.
If you watch:
When: Parade starts around 5:30 p.m. the first Friday of every month in Bixby Knolls and nearby area.
Where: Route varies. Visit bixbyknollsinfo.com for updated map each month and to track the trolley.
August 21, 2020 at 09:52PM
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Bixby Knolls’ beer trolley now leads parades with famous characters on board - Long Beach Press Telegram
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