CLAUDINE BURNETT BOOKS
Thanksgiving Celebrations on the Pike
By Claudine Burnett
What were Thanksgiving celebrations like in Long Beach in years past? There were church services, school plays, turkey dinners, and celebrations on the Long Beach Pike.
In 1910, a new organization of Pike business men decided to promote the Pike at Thanksgiving. Participants in the 1910 “Chanticleer Celebrations” were asked to dress as chickens, turkeys or other birds, with costumes available to rent from Pike merchants. Ten dollars ($33 in 2023) was awarded to the best gentleman wearing a chanticleer (rooster) costume, and the same amount to the best female fowl (hen). Buttons with a rooster design were sold at 10 cents (33 cents) each, and ten turkeys given to those with matching numbers. In addition, special entertainment was presented by “Dare Devil Dunker” who slid down a wire hanging on only by his teeth. This first Thanksgiving celebration on the Pike was a success, but the following year things got better.
In 1911, merry makers paraded along the Walk-of-a-Thousand Lights wearing comical caps and bonnets. Donning costumes, as in the previous year, was deemed too complicated. Hats were a better option. Two thousand numbered buttons bearing the inscription “Funny Hat Night” had been sold by the Pike Association for 10 cents each. Numbers were called, with winners gaining free admission to Pike attractions, or certificates for merchandise from downtown businesses. All-in-all 85 numbers were called, but the highlight was the free turkeys. It was a chance to get to know one another, men and women, boys and girls introducing themselves to others looking to see if they had matching numbers. If they found a matching numbered button, they won one of six turkeys set aside for winners, and perhaps made a new friend they would dance with at the Majestic Pavilion ball held afterwards.
The next few years saw turkeys, chickens, ducks and rabbits being handed out to those who had obtained a free ticket from a Pike merchant or concessionaire during the previous two weeks. It was hard to compete with the theaters popping up around town. After all, what better way to spend your holiday day off than to watch “Slave of Satan,” the story of a woman’s downfall, and the rise of a man to power, offered at the American theater in 1913? To compete, the Pike Association tried something different in 1916 – the release of live turkeys throughout town. I wrote about that interesting event in 2021. You’ll find it in the Journal section of claudineburnettbooks.com, under Holidays.
Claudine Burnett is a retired librarian who has written over 10 books on local history, as well as posting numerous journal articles on her website and Google.