84th annual Hollywood Christmas Parade rolls through city streets

HOLLYWOOD (CNS) - Comedy magic duo Penn & Teller will preside as grand marshals Sunday when the 84th annual Hollywood Christmas Parade makes its way through city streets.

The pair, known for their Las Vegas act and CW Network show "Penn & Teller: Fool Us,'' will ride down the Hollywood Boulevard parade route starting at 5 p.m.

The annual event included performances by Clay Aiken, India.Arie, Taylor Hicks, Daughtry, Kat Graham, Candice Glover, Sean Kingston, Heather Russell, Ruben Studdard and Ace Young. The event will also feature a performance by Band of Merrymakers, featuring Mark McGrath, Natasha Bedingfield, Tyler Glenn of Neon Trees, Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra and Sam Hollander.

The parade also featured a "Magic of Christmas'' segment with magicians from the TV series "Masters of Illusion.'' The segment dove-tails with this year's grand marshals -- magicians Penn and Teller.

Also included in the event will be a salute to American soap operas, with appearances by Rick Hearst, Emme Rylan and Bradford Anderson of "General Hospital''; Tristan Rogers, Kate Linder, Bryton James and Christel Khalil of "The Young & The Restless''; Scott Clifton and Jacqueline Macinnes Wood of "The Bold & The Beautiful''; and Martha Madison, Deidre Hall and Galen Gering of "Days of Our Lives.''

Co-hosting duties for the parade was shared by actors and television personalities Erik Estrada, Laura McKenzie, Dean Cain and Montel Williams.

The parade will step off from Hollywood Boulevard and Orange Street. It will then travel east on Hollywood, south on Vine Street, west on Sunset Boulevard and back to Orange.

The annual Christmas event will be nationally televised on CW Network channels as a two-hour special airing Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. Pacific and Eastern times. Subsequent airings will begin Dec. 19 on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.

The Hollywood Christmas Parade was first held in 1928, when it was called the "Santa Claus Lane Parade.'' Comedian Joe E. Brown was the first grand marshal in 1932, a role later filled by Bob Hope, Gene Autry and Jimmy Stewart, among others.