Billy Ray Cyrus, Stevie Wonder, LeAnn Rimes & More Set for 82nd Hollywood Christmas Parade, 12/1

Musical fireworks will ignite on the streets of Hollywood, CA as The 2013 - 82nd Hollywood Christmas Parade Benefiting Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, presented by Associated Television International and The City of Los Angeles kicks off on Sunday, December 1, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. with a super-star-studded concert prior to the parade featuring performances by Stevie Wonder, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Ray Cyrus, William Shatner, Kenny Loggins, Daughtry, Goo Goo Dolls, Richie Sambora, The McLain Sisters, Ace Young and Diane DeGarmo, Olate Dogs and Glee Club Australia, hailing from the Australian Institute for Performing Arts.

Buzz Aldrin, the astronaut and second man to walk on the moon, the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom who has four moon shaped Special Awards of Excellence along with other Apollo 11 astronauts located on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the man whose name and persona became the inspiration for the iconic character of Buzz Lightyear in The Walt Disney Company's/Pixar's Academy Award-winning blockbuster film franchise, Toy Story, will serve as Grand Marshal. The holidays will be ushered in with the arrival of the float of the star of the parade, Santa Claus.

Erik Estrada ("World's Funniest Moments," "CHiPS") and Laura McKenzie ("World's Funniest Moments," "Laura McKenzie's Traveler") will serve as Broadcast Hosts of the parade. Dean Cain ("Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," "Ripley's Believe It or Not!") and Montel Williams ("The Montel Williams Show") will return in their roles as Special Featured Hosts of the parade.

Buzz Aldrin said: "I am extremely honored to serve as Grand Marshal of The 2013 - 82nd Hollywood Christmas Parade Benefiting The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, a treasured American tradition for all of us who are young at heart. Come celebrate the holidays with me on the festive streets of Hollywood on December 1st as we moonwalk down the parade route together!"

Members of the general public will have the opportunity to see the super-star pre-parade concert and parade up close and personal in Special Reserved Seating in the Red Carpet blanketed Grandstand area on the "live set" where Associated Television International will be taping the live parade for a nationwide primetime television event, premiering as a two-hour special on the Hallmark Channel on from Wednesday, December 11, 2013, followed by an airing on the Hallmark Movie Channel on Friday, December 20, 2013.

The parade will be broadcast throughout the holiday season on more than 350 television stations including KTLA (Channel 5) The CW in Los Angeles on Friday, December 20, 2013 from 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. The parade will also be telecast to over one million American servicemen and women worldwide via the American Forces Television Network.

Tickets for Reserved Seating in the Grandstand for this year's parade are $85, $65 and $45. For Groups of 25 or more, Grandstand discounted ticket prices per person are $75, $55 and $35. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, including http://www.ticketmaster.com/HCP, select Walmart locations, select Simon Mall locations, Curacao locations or charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000. All seats are reserved at the time the order is placed. There are no refunds or exchanges.

All major credit cards are accepted, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. There will also be FREE curbside viewing available along the majority of the parade route. On Saturday, November 30th and Sunday, December 1st, Grandstand Tickets will be available for purchase at a Ticket Booth Kiosk located on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard, west of Highland Avenue in Hollywood, CA.

For the latest updates, please call the 24/7 Parade Hotline toll fee at 1-866-PARADE1 (866-727-2331) and visit the parade's official website at www.thehollywoodchristmasparade.org. For highlights of past parades, please visit, www.youtube.com/thechristmasparade. Stay in touch with us via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

This year's parade will also include television shout-outs from Larry King, Marie Osmond, Taylor Hicks, Susan Lucci, Wayne Brady, Debby Ryan and
Joe Mategna with the "Criminal Minds" cast. Actress Valerie Harper (Golden Globe Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning actress, "Rhoda," "Mary Tyler Moore Show") will be recognized as the "Most Inspirational Person of the Year."

The parade will feature a special tribute celebrating the 40th Anniversary of "The Young and the Restless." Cast members who will be participating in the parade include: Sean Carrigan, Jessica Collins, Angell Conwell, Doug Davidson, Daniel Goddard, Hunter King, Kate Linder, Bryton James, Christian LeBlanc,
Beth Maitland, Melissa Ordway and Kristoff St. John. There will also be a special salute to Disabled American Veterans.

Sixty Celebrity and VIP Parade Participants will include: Mayor Eric Garcetti (Mayor, City of Los Angeles), Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell (Los Angeles Council District 13), Councilmember Tom LaBonge (Los Angeles Council District 4), Lieutenant General Pete Osmon (USMC (Ret), President and CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation); Paris Berelc ("Mightly Med"); Will Claye (Olympic Silver and Bronze Medalist - USA Track & Field; Men's Triple and Long Jump); Lucas Cruikshank ("Fred"); William DeVry ("General Hospital"); Don Diamont ("The Bold and the Beautiful"); Tony Dow ("Leave It To Beaver"); Judi Evans ("Guiding Light"); Christina Ferrare ("AM Los Angeles," "Home & Family" - Hallmark Channel); Jack Griffo ("The Thundermans"); Melissa Joan Hart ("Melissa & Joey"); Candice Huckeba (On-Air Talent for Radio Disney AM 1110); Coco Jones ("Next Big Thing," Good Luck Charlie"); Sean Kanan ("General Hospital"); KOST 103.5 FM's Mark & Kristin In The Morning (Mark Wallengren and Kristin Cruz); Wally Kurth ("Days of our Lives"); Darcy LaPier ("Rodeo Girls"); Devon Leos ("Mighty Med"); Joey Lawrence ("Melissa & Joey"); Jen Lilly ("Days of our Lives"); Greg Louganis (Four Time Olympic Gold Medal Winner in Diving and New York Times Best-Selling Author); Jerry Mathers ("Leave It To Beaver"); John McCook ("The Bold and the Beautiful"); Olate Dogs (Season Seven Winners of "America's Got Talent" with leaders Richard Olate and Nicholas Olate); Nia Peeples ("Pretty Little Liars"); Madison Pettis ("The Game Plan"); Rob Pinkston ("Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide"); Addison Rieke ("The Thuderstorms"); Raini Rodriguez ("Austin & Ally"); Mark Steines (Home & Family - Hallmark Channel); Heather Tom (Emmy Awardâ-winning actress, "The Bold and the Beautiful"); Tristan Rogers ("General Hospital"); Dee Dee Trotter (Olympic Gold and Bronze Medalist - USA Track & Field; Women's 4x400m and 400m dash; Jake Short ("Mighty Med"); Taylor Spreitler ("Melissa & Joey"); Elizabeth Stanton ("Elizabeth Stanton's Great Big World"); Jennifer Veal ("Billy Elliott," "Jessie") and Calum Worthy ("Austin & Ally").

This year's parade will feature 17 bands, including 13 from the state of California and four from out-of-state. They 13 local bands include: Beckman High School Patriot Marching Band (Irvine, CA); Bellflower High School Buccaneer Brigade (Bellflower, CA); Beverly Hills High School Marching Band (Beverly Hills, CA); Crescenta Valley High School Marching Falcons (La Crescenta, CA); Granada Hills Charter High School Highlander Marching Band (Granada Hills, CA); Kaiser Catamount Pride Band & Color Guard (Fontana, CA); Long Beach Junior Band (Long Beach, CA); Porterville High School Panther Band (Porterville, CA); Mayfair High School Monsoon Marching Corps (Lakewood, CA); Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums (Los Angeles, CA); The 1st Marine Division Band (Camp Pendleton, CA); The Los Angeles Catholic School Band (Los Angeles, CA) and The Pacific American Volunteer Association World Traditional Marching Band (PAVA World) (Los Angeles, CA). The four out-of-state bands include: East Coweta High School Marching Indians (Sharpsburg, GA); Gadsden Elementary School District #32 Marching Band (San Luis, AZ); Greenwood Band and Irish Guard (Greenwood, IN) and Sapulpa Chieftain Marching Band (Tulsa, OK).

Seven Equestrian Groups will be featured in the parade, including: Blue Shadows Mounted Drill Team (Agua Dulce, CA); Calizona Appaloosa Horse Club (Phelan, CA); Charros de la Puente (La Puente, CA); Majestic Acres joined by Realm of the Raven (Renaissance Period) (San Diego, CA); Mario's Andalusian's (Mira Loma, CA); Painted Ladies Rodeo Performers (Sacramento, CA) and West Wind Training Stables Presents Mylessa & Garrido (Spanish Andalusian Stallion).

Ten Special Groups appearing the parade include: Air Force Mini Jet Team (Tuskegee Airmen of the 322nd Fighter Group under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. featuring their famous P-51 Mustang "Red Tails" used during World War II); Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car (featuring luxury and exotic vehicles); Connections Academy (200 people playing your favorite holiday songs on kazoos); Just Food For Dogs (featuring adorable adoptable dogs); Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens; Madame Tussauds Hollywood (Life-Like Wax Figures of Hollywood Legends); Star Car Rentals (see your favorite cars from your favorite television shows and movies); Tonka Truck (Hasbro and Funrise Toys); The Wells Fargo Stagecoach and VONS (parade partner).

Ten Giant Balloons will be featured in the parade, including: Angry Birds (sponsored by Hollywood Hotel); Horton The Elephant; Jokey Smurf; My Little Pony; Pirate; Super Grover; T-Rex; The Grinch; The Lorax and Thomas the Tank Engine.

Seven Characters will be featured in the parade, including: Archibald Mouse (Author Sylvia Lieberman and Dr. Carole Lieberman with Archibald Mouse, star of the award-winning children's book, "Archibald's Swiss Cheese Mountain"); Caillou with his cat, Gilbert (PBS Kids); "Despicable Me 2" Presents Minions in the parade (Universal Studios Home Entertainment); Knott's Berry Farm (aka Knott's Merry Farm will be bringing their stagecoach with the Peanuts Gang); The Elf on the Shelf (Carol Aebersold, Co-Creator will be joined by an Elf Mascot); "The Lone Ranger" (The White Stallion that played the role of "Silver" in the movie and a stuntman will be in the parade (The Walt Disney Company) and The Venetian Las Vegas Presents Winter in Venice, Queen Aldabella.

This year's parade will benefit Marine Toys For Tots Foundation and there will be a special salute the Disabled American Veterans. The parade will also salute The Young and the Restless on their 40th Anniversary.

Parade Sponsors for this year include: Funrise Toys/Tonka will have their Tonka T-Rex and "Despicable Me 2" will have an interactive truck on display for public viewing from 1:00 - 3:15 p.m. on the northwest corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue on Sunday, December 1st), Vons, Elf On The Shelf, Thomas & Friendsâ, Caillou and Gilbert, Wells Fargo, Knott's Berry Farm, JustFoodForDogs, The Venetian Las Vegas, GLEEClub Australia, Universal Studios Home Entertainment's "Despicable Me 2," Make a Wish Foundation, Los Angeles Zoo, Madame Tussauds Hollywood, Disney's "The Lone Ranger," Connection Academy, Hollywood Hotel, Metro, Ticketmaster, Betty Crocker, Chem Dry Carpet and Archibald Mouse.

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 TCL Chinese Theatres (formerly 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.

The Hollywood Christmas Parade is presented annually. Since 1928, the Hollywood Christmas Parade has been an American tradition for 82 years! There were three years during wartime when the parade wasn't presented. Grand Marshals, Celebrities and VIPs who have appeared in The Hollywood Christmas Parade during the last 81 years include: Rosanne and Tom Arnold, Bob Barker, Michael Bolton, Beau Bridges, Kristin Chenoweth, David Copperfield, Tony Danza, Sammy Davis, Jr., Cecil B. DeMille, Peter Fonda, City of Los Angeles Council President Eric Garcetti, Louis Gossett, Jr., Johnny Grant, Kathy Griffin, David Hasselhoff, Charlton Heston, Bob and Delores Hope, Ron Howard, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels, Toby Keith, Larry King, Eartha Kitt, City of Los Angeles Councilmember Tom LaBonge, George Lopez, Susan Lucci, Joe Mantegna, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Frankie Muniz, 98 Degrees, Edward James Olmos, Marie Osmond, Hayden Pantierre, Regis and Joy Philbin, Helen Reddy, Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans, Mickey Rooney, Antonio Sabato, Jr., Santa Claus, John Schneider, Arnold Schwarzenegger, William Shatner, Jimmy Stewart, The Simpsons, Ashley Tisdale, City of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood and many others.

To learn more, please visit the website, www.thehollywoodchristmasparade.org.