Mall Dedicates Its Yule Parade to Renewal of L.A.

As thousands of shoppers flocked to the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza on what is customarily the busiest shopping day of the year, mall officials planned something special to emphasize the holiday season as a time to heal the wounds left from the riots.

They dedicated their fourth annual Christmas parade Friday to the theme “Rebuilding the Spirit of Los Angeles With the Rhythm of the Season.”

“This year we are trying to maintain the rebuilding spirit of Los Angeles, trying to put the negative attitudes behind us and generate some positive feelings,” said Leopold Ray-Lynch, mall general manager.

Throngs of people lined the one-mile parade route, which stretched from 57th Street north along Crenshaw Boulevard to the shopping center, through an area that was hit by arson and looting during the civil unrest that erupted April 29.

More than 500 people took part in the parade, including dancing clowns, drill teams, honor guards, a marching band and several elected officials. At one moment, Santa Claus arrived in a horse-drawn carriage with Alexander Haagen, the Manhattan Beach developer who built the mall in 1988 with the help of the Community Redevelopment Agency.

Haagen said the crowded mall where parade participants blended in with a crush of shoppers was showing signs of making a strong turnaround.

“Things are picking up,” he said. “We have seen the worst of it and now we are climbing back uphill.”

During the riots, the mall escaped major damage, thanks to a seven-foot fence, the presence of a private security force and a police substation inside the facility. Ironically, the rioting sparked a surge in customers as it became one of the few places in the community to shop. This year the mall has added a Disney Store, a See’s candy store, and it plans to add a Gap and an eight-screen movie complex.

But as the mall has grown, it has also become more than just a place to shop. It has become a community resource, around which many cultural events are planned.

Kenneth Hahn, who is stepping down after 40 years on the Board of Supervisors, was the parade’s grand marshal.

“This is a great day to be grateful,” he said. “It’s a great day for a parade and a special honor to be selected as grand marshal.”

City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas said the parade was an opportunity for the community to come together in celebration.

“We need positive opportunities like this to come together,” he said. “These are negative times. There is a mounting crisis in the schools, a budget crisis and the problems in the community with violence.”

Debbie Jones, a parent who led Audubon Junior High School’s drill team, said the parade helps to boost self-esteem.

“It’s more than just a matter of Christmas shopping,” she said. “It is about self confidence. The parade helps children feel good about themselves.”

Princess Banks, 13, a drill team member, agreed. “After all the difficulties, we want the whole community to come together.”

Drummer Carlos Sanchez, 16, also felt that the parade was exciting.

“It’s better than staying home and eating leftovers,” he said.