HOUSTON - The grand marshals for the 2018 HEB Thanksgiving Day Parade will be Rockets' point guard James Harden and Astros second baseman Jose Altuve!
Mayor Sylvester Turner made the big announcement to the media Monday morning. On Twitter, he posted a picture of the two and said, "The Houston HEB Thanksgiving Day Parade grand marshals will be Jose Altuve and James Harden — a historic dynamic duo of MVPs! Join us downtown that day for free champion-caliber family fun!!"
The mayor also spoke about how the city is strong more than a year after Hurricane Harvey.
“It’s my favorite time of the year. It’s coming up on the holiday season. The spirit in the city is strong and very much alive. We will be showcasing fresh, new and inspiring entertainment for both the H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting presented by Reliant.” Turner said.
KHOU 11's retiring General Manager and Vice President Susan McEldoon, as well as the new General Manager Bobby Springer spoke at the event as well.
“This tradition is so exciting to me. The idea that we can all come together as a community to celebrate this joy and put something on that people remember for generations, we have a chance to put something in someone’s memory book and this moment that you can share from generation to generation, what a gift for all of us to be a part of it.” said Springer.
KHOU 11 anchor Len Cannon and Mia Gradney will be the parade emcees. It will start at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
KHOU 11 will air the parade on November 22 at 9 a.m. followed by a rebroadcast. KHOU will also stream across KHOU digital platforms. In 2017, the parade was broadcast in 5 states in various Texas markets and rebroadcast several times through the end of the year.
Just a week later, on Friday, November 30, Mayor Sylvester Turner will host the 99th annual Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting.
It will take place in Hermann Square at Houston City Hall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is a free event and open to the public.
The event is a holiday tradition of music, Santa, fireworks and family fun. The entertainment program ends with the lighting of a towering Holiday Tree in the front lawn of City Hall, strung with energy efficient LED lights, colorful ornaments and a star topper which will light up downtown Houston through the holidays.