The 89th Hollywood Christmas Parade is ready to march again
After a year off, it’s time once again for a parade – Hollywood style.
Like a lot of major events, the Hollywood Christmas Parade took a pandemic-forced sabbatical in 2020 with the hope that it would return in ‘21. And that indeed is the case as the venerable Los Angeles-area procession is back and will make its way through the streets of Tinseltown.
Taped Nov. 28, and airing Friday, Dec. 17, on The CW, The 89th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade will feature its usual complement of marching bands, equestrian teams, giant character balloons, floats, movie cars and, of course, the arrival of Santa Claus and his reindeer to usher in the holiday season.
And this being Hollywood, naturally there will be appearances by performers from the worlds of television, film and music, ranging from latter day talents such as Danny Trejo (“Breaking Bad”), Kel Mitchell (“Kenan”) and Emilio Rivera (“Sons of Anarchy”) to favorites from the past including Burt Ward (Robin from the 1960s “Batman” series), Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow (“Leave It to Beaver”), French Stewart
(“3rd Rock From the Sun”) and recording artists Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
Dean Cain, who hosts the broadcast with Erik Estrada, Laura
McKenzie, Montel Williams and special co-host Elizabeth Stanton, is more than excited for the parade’s return and thinks an event such as this is just what the country needs after the events of the past 21 months.
“I can’t wait. I love it,” Cain (“Masters of Illusion,” “Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman”) exclaims. “Christmas is my favorite time of the year so I love being a part of it every single year. There are great musical acts, great stuff going on. I love the spirit of Christmas and I think we need some more spirit of Christmas in our lives this year. Not having that last year and it’s such a weird thing coming out of the pandemic, I think we’re all hurting for that and I think it’s going to be a wonderful, wonderful thing.”
“I think everybody’s going to kick it up to 11 this year because we skipped last year,” he adds.