For the 18th year, participants for the Woodie Christmas Parade met at Paradise Cove around 2 p.m. They headed down PCH through Ralph’s parking lot, back to Webb Way, down Cover center way, through Serra Retreat, and this year ending at the Malibu Pier for refreshments.
Malibu local John Zambetti founded the Woodie Christmas Parade, not holiday parade; John wanted to keep it about Christmas.
Local Fireball Tim (Lawrence) helped to make the final stop at the Malibu Pier happen. They parked by the gates then had refreshments.
The ride was dedicated to Malibu local Andy Cohen, co-founder of Beverly Hills Motoring, who passed away on Oct. 28, 2019.
Andy was part of the Woodie Parade from the very beginning. His sons have been driving each year since.
This year the parade was also dedicated to John Zambetti’s wife Joan, who passed away three years ago from cancer.
“We miss her; she really made this possible, especially at the beginning to get this together. Cause this was one of those crazy ideas ‘Hey, why don’t we try this” and she was the one who said, yeah, but we’re going to need cookies and ornaments, we’re going to have to stop somewhere. As you remember the early ones (Woodie Parades) we had at our house, then the monastery at Serra Retreat, little by little we branched out… so let’s hit the road!” John Zambetti shared.