Pinellas Park Christmas Parade 2017: Route, Road Closings

PINELLAS PARK, FL — Tampa Bay area residents who want to get into the holiday spirit by taking in a parade will get their chance this weekend. The 44th annual Pinellas Park Christmas Parade is set to step off at 6 p.m. Dec. 10.

The annual parade through Pinellas Park draws upwards of 10,000 spectators as more than 125 individual entries combine to wow the crowds. The parade runs a straight route that begins on 74th Avenue near 58th Street North. It continues along 74th (Park Boulevard) to an end near 40th Street North.

As organizers prepare for the annual event, they’re recommending folks start lining up along the route around 4:30 p.m. with their lawn chairs and blankets. Roads, however, will close earlier in the day. The parade is a big one, lasting nearly two hours each year, officials say.

Handicapped seating is available at the Taylor Family Funeral Home, 5300 Park Blvd. The seating area, however, is only accessible from 53rd Street via 70th Avenue.

As for those road closings, folks traveling through the area can expect them as follows:

• 1 p.m. – The closing of eastbound Park Boulevard begins at 66th Street
• 1:30 p.m. – Eastbound Park Boulevard will close from 66th Street to 58th Street
• 1:45 p.m. – The eastbound Park Boulevard closing will begin at 49th Street
• 2:15 p.m. – Eastbound Park Boulevard will be closed from 66th Street to 49th Street
• 2:30 p.m. – Eastbound Park Boulevard will be closed from 66th Street to 40th Street

”Keep in mind, all Park Boulevard cross streets are affected by the closure, including 49th Street starting at 2:15 p.m.,” the city said in an email to media. “U.S. 19, 66th Street and Belcher Road/71st Street will be the only alternatives for going north or south.”

Image via Shutterstock/Map courtesy of the City of Pinellas Park