SCHENECTADY — Schenectady’s 53rd Annual Holiday Parade will feature pop-rock star Ryan Cabrera.
Local and parade officials and sponsors made announcements about important guests and events that will be included in this year’s parade festivities.
The Annual Parade steps off at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov 19. This year’s theme is “Dream Big,” and for the first time participants can preform at the reviewing stand in front of Proctors Theatre.
“We’re very excited to be here, and we know that the theme this year is ‘Dream Big’,” said Chad O’Hara of radio station B 95 5. “So we’re going to go big this year. We’ve got The Christmas guys who are going to help us decorate our float, but we’re bringing in national recording artist Ryan Cabrera, who is going to be coming here to do a performance for us.”
Cabrera will be riding on a float in the holiday parade and doing a performance. The Teen Choice Award winner is known for his pop-rock songs such as his hit “On The Way Down.” The track was on the Billboard Hot 100 charts at number 15, and received a 2006 ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) Pop Award.
The event draws about 15,000 people to downtown Schenectady, said Schenectady County Legislator and Chair of the Tourism, Arts and Special Events Committee Cathy Gatta.
“We have more than 100 floats, marching bands and performers confirmed for the parade,” Gatta said. “We are excited to see what they will design for us inspired by the ‘Dream Big’ theme.
The day of the parade a number of different activities will be going on downtown before the main event, Gatta said. At 3 p.m. individuals are invited to come downtown to listen to music, take pictures with the costumed holiday characters as well as shopping and dining in the area, Gatta explained.
Miss New York, Heather Nunez will be joining this year’s festivities, and Santa Clause will be closing out the parade, Gatta said. Madelyn Thorne, the Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Schenectady County, was recently named as this year’s Grand Marshal.
Schenectady’s Annual Holiday Parade is the northeast’s largest evening holiday parade, Anthony Jasenski, chairman of the Schenectady County Legislature said.
Schenectady has something for everyone, and the parade amplifies the good things here, McCarthy said.
“It’s a regional attraction, it draws not only people from Schenectady, people from the surrounding communities, but the whole Capital Region get the opportunity to come downtown,” Schenectady City Mayor Gary McCarthy said.
Schenectady has something for everyone, and the parade amplifies the good things here, McCarthy said.
Categories: -News-, News, Schenectady, Schenectady County
