Joe Mantegna names grand marshal of Hollywood Christmas Parade

Film/Television/Stage Star, Tony Award and Emmy Award-Winning and Golden Globe Award-Nominated Actor, JOE MANTEGNA will serve as Grand Marshal of The 2012 Hollywood Christmas Parade Benefiting Marine Toys for Tots. The parade will be presented by The City of Los Angeles andAssociated Television International with Jim Romanovich andDavid Martin of Associated Television International andHollywood Christmas Television Parade, LLC serving as Executive Producers.  Bill Lomas of Hollywood’s Santa Parade, LLC will serve as a Producer of the live parade.  Erik Estradaand Laura McKenzie will serve as Broadcast Hosts of the parade and Dean Cain will serve as Host of the music portion of the nationally televised special of the parade airing on both the Hallmark Channel and the Hallmark Movie Channel.  Elizabeth Stanton and Rob Pinkston will serve as Parade Roving Reporters.

Presenting Sponsors of The 2012 Hollywood Christmas Parade include The City of Los Angeles, The Hallmark Channel and Associated Television International, which is executive producing the live parade and the telecast of it.  Hollywood’s Santa Parade, LLC serves as a producer of the live parade.  Community Sponsors include:  Author Services, Metro, Twin America and Sister Cities.

The 2012 Hollywood Christmas Parade Benefiting Marine Toys for Tots will feature over 100 celebrities from film, television and stage; 20 Award-Winning Bands (including 12 from the state of California and 8 from out of state – Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee, and the United States Marine Corps Color Guard; 9 Colorful Equestrians; 6 Ornate Floats; 7 Spectacular Live Performers; 15 Festive Balloons and 27 Popular Characters/Novelties.

A Pre-Parade Show Spectacular, commencing at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 25th, will take place on the Red Carpet Grandstand area of the parade featuring the talents of “American Idol” finalist, singer Kimberley Locke; magician Darren Romeo, The Voice of Magic; performers from Cirque de Soleil’s “IRIS;” the performance artists, Jabowakeez; singer Ashlee Keating; performers from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and the gay and lesbian choir, West Coast Singers.
WHERE:The parade will travel on a U-shaped 3.2 mile route throughout Hollywood, CA starting at Orange Street and Hollywood Boulevard, traveling East onto Hollywood Boulevard turning South onto Vine Street, and then traveling West onto Sunset Boulevard back to Orange Street.  5,000 plus people will participate in this year’s parade. 10,000 square feet of Red Carpet will blanket Hollywood Boulevard in front of the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (the official starting point for the parade) on a lavishly holiday adorned “live set” where Associated Television International will tape the parade for national televised broadcasts of the parade on the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel to be aired during the holiday season.

WHEN:
The live parade will be held in the streets of Hollywood on Sunday, November 25, 2012.  It festivities will kick-off with a Pre-Parade Show Spectacular starting at 5:30 p.m., with the Parade commencing at 6:30 p.m.

HOW:
Grandstand tickets for The 2012 Hollywood Christmas Parade Benefiting Marine Toys for Tots are now on sale!!!  Parade attendees can view the event in style and comfort.  Reserved Grandstand Seating for The 2012 Hollywood Christmas Parade Benefiting Marine Toys for Tots are now available for purchase within Associated Television International’s “live set” area located on Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Street and Highland Avenue.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, including Ticketmaster.com (search for Hollywood Christmas Parade), select Walmart locations, select Simon Mall locations, Curacao locations or charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000. Here is a direct link for buying tickets online:http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0900495F637E1D4D?artistid=1796731&majorcatid=10003&minorcatid=54.  All seats are reserved at the time the order is placed.  There are no refunds or exchanges. Group Discounts are available.  All major credit cards are accepted, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

One of the easiest ways to get to the parade is to take Metro. There are two stations located on the parade route, one at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, and another at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.  For further information or to plan the best route, use the Metro Trip Planner atwww.metro.net.
 
There are numerous Parking Lots in close proximity to the parade route, including Grant Parking lots located throughout Hollywood, as well as at the Hollywood & Highland Shopping Complex accessible from Highland Avenue, near Hollywood Boulevard.  Most lots are paid parking.  Please contact individual parking lots for pricing.
 
For updates and further information about The 2012 Hollywood Christmas Parade Benefiting Marine Toys for Tots,please call the 24/7 Parade Hotline at 1-866-PARADE1 (1-866-727-2331) and visit www.facebook.com/xmasparade.  To view highlights of last year’s parade, please click on this YouTube link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwY0H1UQx14.