Hollywood Christmas Parade
The 75th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade
The Hollywood Christmas Parade celebrates its 75th annual, the Diamond Jubilee, with half a million people lining the street of stars in Hollywood.
Regis Philbin, was honored as the Diamond Jubilee Honorary Grand Marshal. Entertainer George Lopez was the Grand Marshal.
Beginning in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, the parade route travels in front of the Kodak Theater along Hollywood Boulevard continuing a 2.3 miles parade route to Vine Street and along Sunset Boulevard ending in front of Hollywood High School.
Prior to the beginning of the parade, celebrities and political figures some with their families passed the red carpet.
Passing through on the red carpet were
Aimee Garcia (George Lopez Show)
Ant
Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles
Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical)
Belita Moreno
Casper Van Dien (Watch Over Me)
Catherine Hicks (7th Heaven)
Catherine Oxenberg (Watch Over Me)
Cesar Milano (The Dog Whisperer)
Christian Audigier (Godfather of Fashion)
Constance Marie
Corbin Bleu (High School Musical)
Dayanara Torres (Watch Over Me)
Devon Werkheiser (Ned’s Declassified)
Dick Van Patten
Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica)
Eric Braeden (The Young and the Restless)
Furonda Brasfield (America’s Next Top Model)
Hayden Panettiere (Heroes)
Hulk and Linda Hogan
J. Alexander (America’s Next Top Model)
Janice Dickinson (The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency)
Justin Hartley (Smallville)
Kate Linder (The Young and the Restless)
Keiko Agena (Gilmore Girls)
Kim Wayans
Kyle Swan (Ned’s Declassified)
Leeza Gibbons
Lindsey Haun
Lindsey Shaw (Ned’s Declassified)
Louis Van Amstel (Dancing with the Stars)
Lucas Grabeel (High School Musical)
Malcolm David Kelley (Lost)
Marlee Matlin (The ‘L’Word)
Marlon Wayans
Michael Bolton
Monique Coleman (High School Musical)
Nick Hogan
Nicollette Sheridan (Desperate Housewives)
Nigel Barker (America’s Next Top Model)
Norwood
Patricia Kara
Paul Wall
Pooch Hall (The Game)
Regis Philbin
Rob Pinkston (Ned’s Declassified)
Santa Claus
Shawn Wayans
Stan Chambers
Stephen Collins (7th Heaven)
Thugaboo (described by Wayans as Charlie Brown meets Fat Albert with a hip hop twist)
Tia Mowry (The Game)
Todd Cahoon (Watch Over Me)
Valente Rodriquez (George Lopez Show)
Vincent Martella (Everybody Hates Chris)
Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Game)
Willa Ford (Dancing with the Stars)
Hayden Panettiere, Heroes, admittedly naughty this past year was a tease on the red carpet with Santa Claus.
Nigel Barker, America’s top model, was crowned with his poinsettia hair piece he created in the car while on the way. Pointsettias courtesy of Target.
George Lopez, the Grand Marshall of the Hollywood Christmas Parade was MIA on the red carpet and instead Aimee Garcia and Valente Rodiquez arrived. Since George wasn’t there, Aimee shared something about George, he’s like Santa all year round.
Nickelodeon’s Ned’s Declassified cast Lindsey Shaw, Devon Werkheiser, Kyle Swan, and Rob Pinkston, were having so much fun together that you know their show must be fun and totally cool for kids.
Todd Calhoun and Dayanara Torres filmed 66 episodes of the telenova Watch Over Me in 16 weeks. With that quick of a schedule, they became the chraracters.
Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa didn’t miss the photo opp with his family.
Stephen Collins touched our soul, and now we want to see 7th Heaven, which is now on Sundays on the CW.
Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer, skated through the red carpet with some four legged friends.
Hulk Hogan came with his wife Linda Hogan and proudly shared that son Nick Hogan, is the youngest race driver and drives a Viper for Dodge.
Janice Dickinson appeared in a custom Ed Hardy dress with designer Christian Audiger. Teasing as Santa’s mistress, they were accompanied by Santa’s helpers, some showing their new Ed Hardy lingerie.
Michael Bolton and Nicollette Sheridan didn’t miss a step as they continued their posing for photographers down the carpet and displayed total class and professionalism when the lights accidently went out.
The Hollywood Christmas Parade
In order of appearance for bands and floats. Local politicians and celebrities in cars are not included in the list below, though many passed through the red carpet and are on the list above.
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Band, Twenty Nine Palms, CA
Brandon Valley Marching band, Brandon, SD
Leeza Gibbons, who was nominated for 23 Emmys, on the K104.3 float
Drake Bell on the Best Buy Float (singer)
Hollywood High School band, Hollywood, CA
“Pimp My Ride” with Hip hopper Paul Wall with Willa Ford, with multi-platinum single “I want to be Bad”
Councilman Tom Labonge invited everyone to visit the newly renovated Griffith Observatory
Erik Braden, The Young & the Restless, was on the City of LA’s sister city float behind Athens, near the top right of the float
Avon High School Black & Gold, Avon, IN
Michael Bolton sings, “I’ll be Home for Christmas”
Stan Chambers, Legendary Broadcaster on KTLA float
Stephen Collins with Catherine Hicks, invites everyone to view 7th Heaven’s Christmas episode on December 10th
Petal High School Band, Petal, MS
Falun Dafa marching band
Chaparral High School band, Parker, CO
A drum off with Bellflower High School, Bellflower, CA and Mayfair High School, Lakewood, CA
Riverview High School Kilite Band, Sarasota, FL
Glendora High School Tartan Band & Pageantry, Winners of the LA County Fair competition, Glendora, CA
LA County Fair Float with Justin Hartley, Green Arrow from Smallville, Keiko Agena of the Gilmore Girls and a Celebrity Fit Club Trainer
Johnny Grant, the Honorary Mayor of Hollywood shared that The Hollywood Christmas Parade is “One of our oldest and most popular traditions”
Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Gallactica) with daughter Daniella
Indiana Area High School Marching Band
Janice Dickinson with designer Christian Audigier on the Ed Hardy Float with Santa’s Helpers in Ed Hardy Lingerie and Santa helpers outfits.
Elko High School Band from Elko, Nevada
Dick Van Patten on Natural Balance float
Shawn and Kim Wayans, D-Rock from Thugaboo on Nickelodeon. Thugaboo is Charlie Brown meets Fat Albert with a hip hop twist
Long Beach Jr. Concert Band, Long Beach, CA
Santa’s coming…
Merry Christmas.
(C) MBN 2006 William Hoehne
History of the Hollywood Christmas Parade
The Hollywood Christmas Parade is rich in history. Today, the Holiday Season is kicked off with a star-studded extravaganza with nearly 100 celebrities offering their holiday cheer to the people of Southern California and the world. The very first parade, however, in 1928, consisted of only one actress, Jeanette Loff, and Santa Claus.
In an effort to attract shoppers and their families to Hollywood Boulevard during the holiday season, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce came up with the idea of the parade. The Chamber started out by decorating Hollywood Boulevard with live Christmas trees and other Christmas decorations. Then, to add excitement to the event, a live reindeer-pulled sleigh carrying Santa Claus and Ms. Loff made its way down the Boulevard.
Since the main attraction seemed to be Santa Claus, the Chamber appropriately named it the “Santa Claus Lane Parade.”
Each year, with the help of local businesses and the community, the parade grew. In 1931, a truck-pulled float replaced the live reindeer-pulled sleigh.
Santa’s carriage was now pulled by model reindeer that soared through the clouds and over a miniature village while a machine made artificial snow. Santa was able to greet the shoppers through a public address system that also broadcast Christmas carols.
But Santa and the celebrities weren’t the only ones in the parade that year. The American Legion Post 43 marched with their color guard and drum and bugle corps. That year also marked the change of live Christmas trees aligning Hollywood Boulevard to 16 foot, 750 pound metal Christmas trees with strings of lights. A new standing tradition began with the making of the first Grand Marshal, Comedian Joe E. Brown in 1932.
Thereafter, throughout the ‘30s and into the ‘50s, many well-known celebrities, including Bette Davis, Evelyn Venable and Mary Pickford, all flipped the switch lighting the Christmas trees, thereby officially beginning the Holiday Season.
During World War II, in the true spirit of the season, the metal Christmas trees were donated to the war effort and the parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944. However, the first Christmas Parade after the war had a record number of people coming out to celebrate.
In 1946, nobody could have known that a favorite Christmas song would come out of the Parade. But that’s exactly what happened. When Gene Autry rode his horse, Champion, down Hollywood Boulevard (or Santa Claus Lane) and heard all the children yelling “Here comes Santa Claus. Here comes Santa Claus,” he couldn’t help but come up with the idea for the song he co-wrote with Oakley Haldeman. Two years later, Bill Welsh and two cameramen broadcast the first local televised parade to the people of Los Angeles.
The 1950s through the 1970s found the parade growing with the addition of floats, animals, bands, clowns and lots of celebrities. In 1978 Jack Foreman, the president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, asked John Golden of the Western Costume Company to offer ideas that would increase the excitement and glamour of the parade.
To start with, the parade was officially renamed “The Hollywood Christmas Parade” in an effort to increase celebrity involvement. With the help of Johnny Grant, vice president of public affairs for KTLA, the parade was broadcast locally, for the first time, on KTLA. In 1979, fifty years since the first parade, the route was lengthened to 3.5 miles and now includes Sunset Boulevard.
Today spectators line the streets of Hollywood to see the beautiful stars, classic cars, equestrians, bands, floats, and don’t forget, Santa Claus, and to ring in the Holiday Season to the world.
The Hollywood Christmas Parade is produced for the sole purpose of entertaining and educating the people of the United States and the world on the glamour of Hollywood and is dedicated to bringing together all the entertainment principals of this re-born community to speak as one voice, to acknowledge that Hollywood is
The Entertainment Capital of the World!
