Earlier today, McAllen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B, announced as its first celebrity reveal none other than second-year Dallas Cowboys up-and-coming star, #13 wide receiver Michael Gallup. He will be joined by five-time Super Bowl Champion and All-Star former Dallas Cowboys #94 defensive end Charles Haley. The announcement was made during a press conference from Bert Ogden Infiniti, part of Bert Ogden & Fiesta Dealership, which powers the parade with over 12,000 horsepower.
“When it comes to stars, there are no bigger stars in Texas than the Dallas Cowboys,” said McAllen City Manager Roel Roy Rodriguez, P.E. “No one commands the instant recognition as the Dallas Cowboys. Long-time, true-blue fans will be ecstatic to see the commanding presence of Charles Haley, who dominated his position, the locker room and anywhere he went. However, the current Dallas Cowboys are certainly adding to that star wattage power, and in only his second year with the team, Michael Gallup is doing some really great things. I love that we are able to bring these celebrities to the McAllen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B, for their fans right here in the Rio Grande Valley. ”
Since the parade’s inception, organizers have featured celebrity appearances as part of the unique aspects of the McAllen Holiday Parade, and in 2016, started featuring Dallas Cowboys players and have done so ever since. Because the Dallas Cowboys play on Thanksgiving, they also play the following Thursday, which is right before the parade. This leaves them free for the weekend to come down to the McAllen Holiday Parade.
“It is part logistics and part wanting to give the community what they want when deciding who to bring down for the parade, ”said McAllen Assistant City Manager Joe Vera, who spearheads the event. “That first time that we brought them, the fan reaction was immediate, and continues to be, as each year, a sea of blue and silver fills the McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium and lines the parade route.”
Vera stressed, however, that organizers make every effort to bring a diverse roster of celebrities and star athletes, that will appeal to fans of every age, of different musical, television and film genres and of course, of different teams. This year he plans to continue to feature an exciting list of celebrities and stars that will have the same passionate response from the community.
“We love the Cowboys, but we love other teams too and hope to have those players, as well as other international celebrities joining us at the McAllen Holiday Parade, celebrating McAllen as the South Pole of Texas,” Vera concluded.
Along with the exciting unveil of the first of the McAllen Holiday Parade celebrities, organizers also announced the headlining musical acts for Christmas in the Park, the fun and free, family-friendly festival that runs on the Friday and Saturday of the parade, right in Municipal Park, adjacent to the stadium, the parade’s starting point. Friday night’s free concert will feature none other than Grammy-award winning Siggno, the Tejano musical sensation that in only 15 years, is changing the Tejano scene with their energy, youth and creative and fresh style.
“R Communications is elated to once again be a media partner with the great City of McAllen and its Christmas in the Park and McAllen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B. As part of this year's amazing entertainment, we are extremely proud to announce a live performance with Latin Grammy Award winners, La Ley 102.5 and Super Tejano 102.1 Rockteño artists...SIGGNO!!! ” said Maria Alvarez, general manager for R Communications.
On Saturday night, as soon as the parade is over, fans should flock back to Christmas in the Park for another free concert, this time featuring the Norteño Regional musical group, Los Tigrillos, who have been in the industry for almost 40 years and have over 30 albums to their name, and will get the crowd on their feet and dancing.
“Entravision Communications proudly announces its continued partnership with the City of McAllen for Christmas in the Park and the McAllen Holiday Parade,” said Mark Garcia, Senior Vice President of Entravision Communications. “Entravision’s multi-media coverage includes live on-location event presence and a live broadcast of the parade. In addition, Entravision Radio’s La Tricolor 99.5 FM continues its support of the Saturday Night Stage, featuring Los Tigrillos.”
Christmas in the Park features food and artisan vendors and a carnival that runs Thursday through Saturday.
This year’s McAllen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2019, stepping off at 6:00 p.m. from McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium, 2001 North Bicentennial Boulevard and is generally thought of as the best seat in the house. General admission and reserved tickets are now on sale. General admission tickets are $10 and are exclusively for the east side of the stadium, while reserved tickets are for $20 or $35 for the west side of the stadium.
Tickets may be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com; expect additional service charges or at face value at the McAllen Convention Center Box Office, located at 700 Convention Center Boulevard. The parade kicks off from the stadium and seats 13,000, so join neighbors, friends and visitors to McAllen to see the parade floats and the stars as they ride by or enjoy the magical snow that will be falling in the stadium, before the parade heads out onto Bicentennial for the mile and a half route. VIP chairs along the route are available for $8 or free seating is found on a first come basis. Go to www.mcallenholidayparade.com for tickets.
The McAllen Holiday Parade is presented by H-E-B and powered by Bert Ogden & Fiesta Dealership, Budweiser, Driscoll Health System and Reliant. Other sponsors include: McAllen Public Utility; McAllen International Bridge System; Peña Eye Institute; Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson; McAllen Chamber of Commerce; McAllenInternational Airport; Sprint; IBC Bank; Doña Tota; AEP Texas Central; PepsiCo.; McAllen I.S.D.; McAllen Economic Development Corp.; Metro McAllen; Laredo Taco Company/Stripes; Tres Lagos; Lacks; McAllen Recycling; Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers; Carollo Engineers; Palenque Group; KSA Engineers; Macy’s; University of Texas-RGV; BBVA Compass; South Texas College; Med-Care EMS; Plains Capital Bank; Ambetter Superior Healthplan; Raba Kistner Consultants, Inc.;Texas Lottery; Chick-fil-A; Cigna HealthSpring; Halff Associates, Inc.; Melden & Hunt; S&B Infrastructure, Ltd.; and Juanita’s Foods.
Media partners for the event include: Telemundo 40 and TeleXitos; KGBT-Ch. 4 Valley Central and TV-Azteca; KRGV-Ch.5 and 5.2 Somos el Valle; Entravision TV and radio stations, including of Q 94.5 THE ROCK STATION FM; 107.9 MIX FM; La TriColor 99.5 FM; La Suavecita 101.1 FM and television stations FOX-South Texas, The Valley’s CW 212, UniMas and of course, Univision-Valle del Rio Grande; R Communications stations including, Digital 101.5, Super Tejano 102.1, La Ley 102.5, KURV-710 AM and La Lupe 89.1; Wild 104/KISS 106 and KTEX from IHeartRadio; Univision Radio, including KGBT LA JEFA 98.5 / RECUERDO, 96.1/UNIVISION DEPORTES 1530 AM; Más Music Radio; Advance News-Journal; El Periódico, U.S.A.; Revista Expresión; and The Monitor.
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