Beachside/Flagler Avenue

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(Photo by Dale Smith)The Tiny Tots from the Dance Factory entertained the crowd on Flagler Avenue dancing to holiday music. A mechanical Santa’s sleigh with bright lights attracted young and old alike.

Editor's note: The following story was submitted by contributing writer Dale Smith:

NEW SMYRNA BEACH – Parking was at a premium on all side streets around Flagler Avenue Friday night. It was apparent there was one big party going on. Parents and their children, students, and all those in the holiday spirit, gravitated toward the beachside shopping venue for the annual "Light Up Flagler," which drew about 1,500 people.

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(Photo by Dale Smith). Adele Aletti, owner of Gone Bonkers, 314 Flagler Ave., wraps festive garland around the handrails of her shop, as she readies for Light up Flagler on Friday and NSB Christmas Parade on Saturday.

Editor's note: The following story was submitted by contributing writer Dale Smith:

NEW SMYRNA BEACH – When Adele Aletti made the decision to move to New Smyrna Beach in 1988 to open a store on Flagler Avenue, she said she thought she had gone bonkers.

“Really, I did,” she said Monday, remembering having second thoughts of “Oh, what have I done?”