Let the Games Begin at the 2010 Big Bay Balloon Parade!

Wednesday, 22 December 2010
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

What do a 1970s basketball star, the United States Marine Corps Band, a group of pseudo sumo wrestlers and an award-winning dance team have in common? They're just a few of the many stars in the 2010 Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade, which enlivens Harbor Drive between Grape Street and Broadway Pier on Thursday, December 30, 2010.

 

The parade kicks off in front of the County Administration Building at 10 a.m., led by the Bowl Games of America Dancers. Shortly after that, this year's Grand Marshal, NBA Champion Bill Walton, will pass by in the opening float, titled "Let the Games Begin," which is also the theme of this year's parade.

Walton, a native of La Mesa, CA, began his basketball career at Helix High School. He played for the UCLA Bruins in the early 1970s and was named College Player of the Year three years in a row. His NBA career included playing for the San Diego Clippers, the Portland Trailblazers and the Boston Celtics. Walton was a two-time NBA Champion, the NBA Finals MVP in 1977, was named MVP in 1978 and a two-time NBA All-Star, in addition to other numerous awards. In the 1990s he began a career in broadcasting.

The Port of San Diego is the title sponsor of the parade, which is often referred to as "America's Largest Balloon Parade" because of its number of giant balloons. The San Diego County Credit Union is the presenting sponsor.  Balloon entries outnumber the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City by seven. Macy's has 15 and the Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade has 22. There are also ten marching bands, including those representing the 2010 Holiday Bowl competitors, the University of Washington Huskies and the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. Imaginative floats and numerous specialty units round out the parade.

The parade is just one of many activities leading up to the annual Holiday Bowl game, taking place the same day, at 7 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium. The game matches teams from the Pacific-10 and Big 12 Conferences.

Just before the parade starts, more than a thousand runners will compete in the annual Bumble Bee 5k run. The race starts at 9:45 a.m. at the corner of Harbor Drive and Ash Street. It heads south on Harbor Drive behind the San Diego Convention Center, makes a loop through Embarcadero Marina Park North and ends near Tuna Harbor Park and the G Street Mole.

The Amtrak Big Bay Family Festival will take place on the bayside of Harbor Drive between the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal and Anthony's Restaurant. The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes free activities for the family.

About 100,000 spectators are anticipated to view the parade, along Harbor Drive from Grape Street to the Broadway Pier. Harbor Drive will be closed from Grape Street to Pacific Highway from 6:45 a.m. until noon on December 30. Pacific Highway will be closed from Harbor Drive to Broadway during that same time. In addition, southbound Pacific Highway will only have one traffic lane open from Grape Street to Ash Street from 7 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.

The parade will air live locally on Channel 4 San Diego. It will also be televised nationally on USA Network at 9 a.m. on January 1. The parade will also be livestreamed on the Port of San Diego website.

Parade parking will be extremely limited. The Port of San Diego encourages carpooling or the use of public transportation. The San Diego Trolley has convenient stations with service to the Harbor Drive and embarcadero areas with free and paid parking lots. These are located at the Fashion Valley, Old Town and America Plaza stations.