They’re expecting some 112 floats and parade entries this year, for the 90 minute OB Holiday Parade themed “Miracle On Newport Avenue,” which kicks-off at 5:05 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. 
The parade runs from Sunset Cliffs Boulevard down Newport Avenue, turning the corner at Abbot Street where entries will be reviewed by judges.
Last year, OB’s de facto mascot, Vera the Mermaid, who disappeared as mysteriously as she appeared from her lofty Sunset Cliffs perch, debuted in the OB holiday parade on a float.
OB community activist Claudia Jack, who spearheaded Vera’s revival, noted there’s a new addition this year.
“OB Mermaid Vera has had a baby named Violet,” said Jack. “And they will be featured on a lifeguard boat.”
Jack said her dream all along has been to keep Vera “welcomed in OB, and she was featured at 11 different merchants this past year. People love to take pictures with her. She puts smiles on many faces.”
Added Jack, “I brought her to the Hodad/AWOL Surf meet and about 100 people took pictures with her. Vera has been a positive fantasy in OB.”
A centerpiece of most any parade is the festive floats.
Not to be outdone, Obecians have put plenty of time and effort making their floats stand out this year.
The Correia Group, a small real estate brokerage on Santa Monica Avenue, is among those businesses with a float in this year’s parade. 
Lanz Correia discussed their float.
“Our theme is helping pets find homes for their owners,” he said. “We’re actually going to have a doghouse on the float, with a bunch of people, including myself, walking their dogs behind the doghouse with a for sale sign on it.”
“We are excited to be in the parade this year for the first time,” said Lanz’s wife, Deja explaining, “Our theme is really an extension of one of our tag-lines, ‘Helping Pets Find Homes for Their Owners Since 2001.’ The focus this year is a clear OB favorite — dogs.”
The Correia Group entry will include a baby blue 1964 Buick LeSabre convertible that will be cruising and spitting George Clinton’s “Atomic Dog,” while Correia Group-clad dogs walk their Correia Group-clad owners behind our dancing dog and dog-house float.”  
Deja said the total float cost has been about $2,500, which she added, “was only possible due to the generosity of friends family and clients. The car belongs to a dear friend, Greg Curtis, and participating owners are on loan from our dog clients and friends. The bulk of the cost was the doghouse, trailer, and participant apparel. However, the cuteness of the pups and the honor of participating is priceless.”
Michelle Bulman of Bulman Painting said this is the second year they’ve entered a float in the OB parade. 
“We’re going to have a trailer with a band inside,” she said adding, “We choose how we decorate based on the parade theme.”
This year’s parade theme is based on the movie “Miracle on 34th Street,” about the effect of a department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real Santa. 
“We’re going to have people with Santa garb on our float which will be red and white,” said Bulman. “We’ll have paint buckets and paintbrushes. Last year we decked it out with lights. This year we’re going to have a lot more lights.”
Disco Karen (O’Grady) and Disco Christi (Norton) talked about their Disco Christmas float.
“Last year was our first year as a float in the parade and I am proud to say we won for Best Ocean Beach Spirit,” O’Grady said. “For us, the hardest thing that goes into creating a float this silly is recruitment — finding super fun people who are crazy enough to put on disco clothes and dance down Newport Avenue in front of the crowd. …What we have learned this year is that fun people know other fun people. … It has worked very well to increase our numbers.”
Added O’Grady, “Once we have the people, it’s nothing but fun fun fun to see everyone’s disco costumes, and then to gather and dress up our disco look with blinking holiday lights, Santa hats, reindeer antlers, and all the bright & glittery stuff that turns disco into Disco Christmas.”
Concluded O’Grady, “Each and every person who participated last year brought every ounce of their energy, and that’s why we won.”