Celebrate the Season Parade facts for kids
The Celebrate the Season Parade was a special event held every year in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It took place on the Saturday right after Thanksgiving Day, usually the last Saturday in November. This parade was one of the first big events that kicked off the holiday season. It was shown live on WPXI, the local NBC television station in Pittsburgh.
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History of the Pittsburgh Holiday Parade
The very first parade happened in 1980. It was shown on a local TV station called WPGH-TV for its first two years. A department store called Kaufmann's helped pay for it.
In 2006, Kaufmann's joined with Macy's. From then until 2013, Macy's became the main sponsor. This made the Pittsburgh parade like a smaller version of the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
WPXI, which was once called WIIC, started showing the parade live. The first hosts were Mike Hambrick and Edye Tarbox. Later, David Johnson and Peggy Finnegan took over in 1991. Other reporters and hosts, like John Fedko, also joined in over the years.
From 2010 to 2013, the parade was also known as the "My Macy's Holiday Parade." But in 2014, Macy's decided to stop sponsoring the parade. WPXI said they were sad about this but would try to find a new sponsor. For the 2014 parade, Pittsburgh Public Schools became the main sponsor. The parade's name changed again, this time to the "WPXI Holiday Parade."
In 2020, the parade could not happen because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, WPXI showed highlights from past parades and had virtual guests.
What Happened to the Parade?
On September 8, 2021, WPXI announced that they would no longer broadcast the parade. They had been showing it for 30 years. They said they could not continue to produce and broadcast the event. WPXI mentioned that they might broadcast it again in the future if new partners came forward. They thanked everyone who had participated and watched the parade over the years.
How the Parade Worked
The parade usually lasted for two hours. About eighty different groups, including local marching bands, colorful floats, giant balloons, and even famous people, took part each year. One float that always appeared was the WPXI float, where some of the TV station's personalities would gather.
Famous People at the Parade
Many celebrities, especially those from the Pittsburgh area, joined the parade. Here are some of the well-known people who participated:
- Ty Treadway, a TV host
- Jimmy McGuire from Jeopardy!
- Pat Sajak, host of Wheel of Fortune
- Christina Aguilera, a singer
- Pat Boone, a singer
- Billy Porter, an actor and singer
- Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. from The 5th Dimension
- Usher, a singer
- Bianca Ryan, a singer
- Willard Scott, a TV personality
- Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy!
- Mr. McFeely and Purple Panda from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
- Franco Harris, a famous football player
- Jackie Evancho, a singer
Parade Traditions
A special tradition of the parade was that Santa Claus always appeared last. He was the final person to be seen in the parade, bringing the holiday cheer to an end.
