It’s here! The season of fun, flip flops and fruity umbrella drinks is upon us!

In other parts of the country, spring transitions to summer subtly with fewer rainy days, longer daylight hours and the smell of wild honeysuckle hanging in the still air. In northeast Florida, summer enters with floats and fanfare.

Since 1946, the City of Jacksonville Beach has hosted an annual Beaches Opening parade to kick off the summer season and officially open the beaches to guests. The parade is held the last weekend in April, and although that may seem early to my friends in the Midwest, in Northeast Florida there’s plenty of sun and surf this time of year.

The parade starts on 2^nd Street North and runs about 16 blocks before crossing over to First Street and traveling south to Beach Blvd., ending near the Red Cross Lifesaving Corps building, which is probably the most photographed building at the beach.

The white Art-Deco-style station was built in 1946 to serve as a base operation for the oldest and only volunteer lifesaving corps in the world. These lifeguards have saved thousands of swimmers, since they began patrolling Jacksonville Beach in the summer of 1912.

The City accepts 75 entrants for the parade each year. Local businesses and civic organizations use this opportunity to advertise their goods and services and to welcome visitors to the community. The 2013 theme, “Disco Daze,” brought out some colorful characters, who arrived by foot, in cars, on motorcycles and, of course, on floats.

Thousands of spectators flock to the beach for the parade, which is great for the Beaches economy, but not so great for parking. I suggest parking at the South Beach Shopping Center next to J.T.B., and taking the Beaches Shuttle to the Sea Walk Pavilion. Shuttle service, which runs year round, is FREE on the day of the parade. For $1.00 per ride, it might not be a bad idea to take the shuttle anytime you go to the beach on the weekend when traffic can get pretty thick. For more information, call (904) 630-3100.

This was my first time at the Beaches Parade. I’ll definitely be back next year. Maybe I can get one of those prime seats in an open air beach bar on the parade route. Sunshine, ocean breezes, cold beverages and live entertainment—what’s better than that?