A festive press conference at Ovation Hollywood will set the tone for a landmark parade supporting Marine Toys for Tots.
The ninety third anniversary of the Hollywood Christmas Parade Supporting Marine Toys for Tots will take shape through a vivid preview as organizers, performers, civic leaders and partner groups gather at Ovation Hollywood. The Center Courtyard on the Upper Plaza Level will become the focal point for a morning designed to introduce the scope and spirit of the upcoming parade. The event will highlight the participants who will bring movement, music and carefully planned entertainment to this longstanding holiday tradition.
Guests, performers and spokespeople will arrive throughout the morning to present what the public will see when the parade takes place. Organizers working with Associated Television International and the City of Los Angeles will outline the parade’s continuing role in the cultural landscape of Hollywood. The location at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard will reinforce the importance of hosting a major community celebration in the center of the city.
A series of morning performances will precede the press conference, offering early glimpses into the visual and musical experience awaiting spectators. Each participating group will contribute a distinct cultural or artistic element and their presentations will preview the intricate coordination planned for parade day. With the announcement of Santa Claus’s arrival already confirmed, excitement will continue to build as the program unfolds.
Entertainment will begin with a presentation from the dancers of the Gevorkian Dance Academy. Vartan Gevorkian, serving as Artistic Director, Founder and Choreographer, will appear with choreographer Sona Gevorkian and dance instructor Alex Gevorkian. Their group of twenty dancers will demonstrate the academy’s established performance style, which they will later bring to the parade route.
PAVA World Korean Traditional Band will add another major component to the programming with drummers, dancers and flag bearers. President Won S. Myung will speak on behalf of the group and will highlight the significance of continuing cultural traditions during a milestone year for the parade. With forty members confirmed to perform, the group will offer one of the larger ensemble moments in the program.
A large Chinese performance delegation will also participate. Spokesperson Phoebe Chen Huang, Chief Organizer and Chair of the California Entrepreneurs Alliance, will lead a group that includes fifty Chinese Lion Dancers, Mulan, Face Changing performers and two Panda Bear mascots. These performers will join with Evans Lam of UBS Financial, Nezha and the Kung Fu Martial Arts Team, Jennifer Chiang, Mr. Chengwu Xu, Lianlian Lin, Brenda Yang, David Xu Lin, Olivia Li appearing in the parade as Mulan, Jane Yu of the American Flying Tigers Communication Association, Mr. Wei Sun of the U.S.-China Economic Trade and Culture Art Federation and Amy Wang of the American Chinese Culture Association. Their appearance will highlight ongoing collaboration with community organizations throughout Southern California.
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles will contribute a choral performance led by Music Director and Conductor Ernest H. Harrison, who will speak for the group. Sixteen members will participate in the press event and will preview the musical presence they will bring to the parade route.
Cri Cri, the fictional cricket created in 1934 by composer Francisco Gabilondo Soler, will appear through the costumed character that continues to carry the legacy of its creator. Francisco Sanz Polo Gabilondo, grandson of the composer, will attend as spokesperson and will discuss the continued popularity of the character that first entered the public imagination through station XEW in Mexico.
The Bolivian folkloric group Caporales San Simón Cochabamba California will appear with ten dancers. Mariela Macias, President of the organization, will serve as spokesperson and will provide insight into the preparation required to bring traditional Bolivian dance to the parade.
Galaxy Press representation will include John Goodwin, President and Publisher, and Emily Goodwin, Vice President of Public Relations at Author Services Inc. They will share details about their involvement as parade sponsors and their responsibilities as Parade Green Room hosts. Their participation will emphasize the partnership between arts institutions and parade organizers.
The Marine Toys for Tots delegation will be a central component of the press event. Lieutenant Colonel Travis Zimmerman, Inspector Instructor of the 3rd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company in Bell, California, will serve as spokesperson. The Marine Toys for Tots Color Guard will appear with Corporal Kenney Torres, Corporal Juan C. Perez, Sergeant Jeffrey Le and Sergeant Quentavious C. Leeks. Their presence will highlight the charitable mission that will guide this year’s celebration.
Santa Claus, appearing as Santa Cortney Lofton, will arrive with Marine escorts Gunnery Sergeant Victor I. Winston of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and Staff Sergeant Carolina Arzate of Romeoville, Illinois. Rudolph and the elves will join the group and will finalize the holiday theme of the morning presentation.
City leaders and public officials will participate to provide operational information. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez of the Seventh District will speak about the city’s continued support for the parade. A representative from the Los Angeles Parking Enforcement and Traffic Control Division of the Department of Transportation will deliver information on road closures, traffic guidance and recommended alternate travel routes.
Parade co host Laura McKenzie will offer a perspective shaped by her longstanding role within the parade’s history. Her remarks will underline the coordination required to produce an event of this scale and the continued partnership between the entertainment industry and the parade committee.
Actress Kate Linder of The Young and The Restless will appear in support of the parade’s entertainment community connections. Her participation will reinforce the lasting relationship between performers and major holiday events in Hollywood.
As the press conference continues, organizers will outline the entertainment block planned for parade day between 9:15 and 10:00 a.m. Audiences will see cultural groups, dancers and costumed performers, including two Panda Bear mascots, moving through a range of rehearsed segments. These previews will show the planning and dedication required to unify performers from diverse regions and artistic backgrounds.
Officials will present travel guidance to ensure that parade attendees can move safely and efficiently through the Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue area. They will discuss recommended routes, pedestrian access and the importance of early arrival.
Organizers will also speak about the enduring partnership between the parade and Marine Toys for Tots. The charity’s mission, centered on supporting children and families, will shape the wider purpose of the event. The presence of the Marine Color Guard and Marine escorts will affirm the importance of this relationship.
Ovation Hollywood will serve as the host location for the press conference. The Center Courtyard on the Upper Plaza Level will accommodate performers, city partners and media representatives preparing for the announcement. Its accessible position at a major intersection will make it an effective hub for the event.
Throughout the morning, artistic staff from multiple performance groups will discuss the rehearsal schedules and coordination required to synchronize large ensemble acts. The Gevorkian Dance Academy will share details about choreographic planning for twenty dancers. PAVA World Korean Traditional Band will describe the structure of their ensemble work for drummers, dancers and flag bearers. The Chinese performance delegation will outline how lion dancers, martial artists and costumed characters will align within the parade schedule.
The press conference will close with reminders about RSVP details through Steve Moyer Public Relations and the contact information for city and departmental representatives supporting the event. As performers, organizers and officials conclude their appearances, the anticipation for the upcoming Hollywood Christmas Parade will settle into place, preparing the city for a celebration rooted in tradition, artistry and community spirit.
