Getting Ready to Celebrate 70 Years of Cheer

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Honorary Co-Mayors Billy Crystal and Janice Goldfinger have a message they want to deliver to Palisadians: They want you to feel the community spirit during the Fourth of July festivities—and perhaps be inspired to create a float of your own.

The pair is leading by example. They are working with residents in the Alphabet Streets, and past Honorary Mayor Jake Steinfeld, on a float, which is where they can be found during the parade.

When they visited with the Palisadian-Post, Crystal and Goldfinger couldn’t reveal details of the float, but they promise more than “just waving from a car.”

“That’s what I do,” Crystal said about his work on the float. “Approach things with humor and theatrics.”

This year, the parade celebrates an impressive anniversary with the theme “70 Years of Cheer!”

Crystal shared that he and Goldfinger have been attending the parade since they moved here in 1979. They hope that their participation in building a float will inspire others to do the same.

Goldfinger said they envision “neighbors getting together to do it.”

“[On the Fourth of July] people are all walking toward the center of the town, where the skydivers land, looking at the sky,” Crystal explained. “But we also want them to look toward each other and say, ‘We can do this, too.’”

The couple listed a few of their favorite things about past parades, which include motorcycle acrobats, horse teams and the New Orleans Traditional Jazz Band.

“We can create our own traditions, our own fun,” Crystal said. “The parade is always a big event that the whole community takes part in. We want to see them get excited about what the parade can be for them.”

The two hope to build community spirit up in the Palisades.

“In our short administration, we’ve done so many things already,” Crystal said.

Since being named co-mayors, they’ve made several memorable appearances at community events, including the Pacific Palisades Spelling Bee, Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club 90th Birthday Party and the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce’s Comedy Night, where they took the reins from departing Honorary Mayor Kevin Nealon.

Those interested in learning more about parade floats can do so at palisades4th.com/parade/floats. The parade, which is organized by Palisades Americanism Parade Association, encourages Palisades residents—especially kids—to “share their pride and imagination.”

Each year, the parade features an array of participants, including musical units, equestrians, floats and more.

“Have fun with the kids, that’s what the Palisades is all about,” Crystal said. “Don’t take the easy way out.”