The parade sees increase in participants since the return from the pandemic
Classic cars, golf carts, bikes, and even horses were seen cruising down Fernhill and Cliffside Drive Tuesday morning for the 22nd Annual Point Dume Parade.
Hosted by the Point Dume Community Service District, the parade has become a tradition for families to decorate their cars, carts, or bicycles with the stars, stripes, reds, whites, and blues.
Malibu CERT Team Leader Richard Garvey said the parade turned out great and saw an increase in participants.Â
“We saw more participants than we have in the last couple of years; everyone is having a great time, it’s safe and it’s a great tradition,” Garvey said.Â
Despite not having any fireworks show in the City of Malibu, Garvey said seeing familiar faces brings the community together.
“As a kid, loving fireworks and growing up with them, I really miss them, but I don’t see the two as a competition,” Garvey said. “Point Dume is a great community, a lot of people know each other, so a parade like this, you don’t miss the fireworks as much.”
While many cars and bikes were decorated in red and blue, Malibu Farm employee Suzy Mkrtchyan decorated a golf cart in all shades of pink.
“I wanted to be different, unique, and stand out,” Mkrtchyan said. “The ‘Barbie’ movie is coming out in a few weeks so the thought of ‘Malibu Barbie’ stood out. Our boss always said be different, be creative, and be unique, so we decided to be different.”
The Point Dume parade took a hiatus during COVID-19 but returned in 2021.
Despite fireworks being prohibited in the City of Malibu, the closest firework show to Malibu was the Calabasas 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular that took place at the Calabasas High School football field Tuesday evening. Santa Monica College also hosted their “Celebrate America” fireworks 2023: Santa Monica.
Point Dume Community Service Districts were accepting donations for the Pt. Dume Emergency Communication Project.
The district is obtaining a Federal Communication Commission (FCC) licensed private radio system to provide residents in Point Dume with an emergency radio system. Similar systems have been set up for Malibu CERT, the City of Malibu, Big Rock, Corral Canyon, and Arson Watch. The system operates independently of the power grid, internet, cell towers, etc.
PDCSD President Paul Major thanked everyone who participated and shared what they were raising donations for.
“The parade went really well, we have a lot of children in bicycles, definitely more than last year, so we had a huge lineup of people, about a miles and a half, it looked like,” Major said. “Our community center has been around since the late ’80s when we started it, and we’re raising donations for our private radio frequency for Point Dume and all the residence during an emergency disaster, they will be able to communicate with people in the community.”
The PCDSD was formed in 1985 in response to the closure of the Point Dume School. The district has also sponsored various neighborhood recreation activities and events, and is actively exploring new projects, such as a community garden and fire safety and disaster preparedness programs.
The district hopes to roll out the system over the next few months. For more information, visit pdcsd.org.
The LA County Fire Department led the parade and the Malibu’s Sheriff’s Department Volunteers on Patrol closed the street so the parade could cruise down safely.
The parade ended at Malibu Elementary School, where residents gathered to take photos and celebrate the holiday.
