Orlando Christmas Parade & Holiday in the Park: Decemeber 13

Central Florida’s premier holiday parade, now called the Orlando Fashion Square Christmas Parade will move to the Orlando Fashion Square as a one-day family friendly festival and parade. Activities begin on Saturday Dec. 13th with a daytime Christmas parade starting at 11am at Maguire Blvd. and Bennett Road featuring Grand Marshal Kira Kazantsev, Miss America 2015.

This year’s parade theme will be “Let the Holiday Magic Begin” and will feature 75 plus parade entries to include outstanding floats, Super Hero characters, horse-drawn carriages, celebrities, twenty five non-profit groups and of course Santa Claus. The parade comes alive with performances by Orlando’s best marching bands like the Rosie O’Grady Highlanders Pipe Band, Maynard Evans, Edgewater High School, Jones High School and the thundering sounds of the Young Blacks in Action Community Band. Look for the Daytona International Speedway Pace Car and appearances by Smokey the Bear, the Geico Gecko, The SCUBA-DENNIS Polar Bear, Boardwalk Kids Theater Characters, The Pop-Shop Endangerables, Orlando Predator’s mascot KLAW, Players & Dancers along with The Orlando Solar Bears mascot SHADES.

The Subaru of South Orlando Jingle Bell Dog Jog will be presented by Mercedes Benz of South Orlando on December 13th featuring Dog Jog Grand Marshal Gabrielle Ford, America’s Advocate for the Bullied. Gabe and her dog will lead the Jingle Bell Dog Jog down Maguire Blvd. before the start of the Orlando Fashion Square Christmas Parade at 11am. www.gabeandizzy.com Dog owners can register their dogs on-line on this website by using the Eventbrite pay button. Proceeds from the Dog Jog will benefit local animal shelters.

The TRUSTCO BANK Holiday at the Square Festival will take place in the Orlando Fashion Square parking lot on Saturday, Dec. 13th from 10am to 5pm featuring free LIVE yuletide entertainment from the IOA Insurance Stage to include performances by Elevate Studios, ENCORE DANCE STUDIO, the Shimmering Sapphires, singer Autumn Rae, Bethany Barnett, Kira Taylor, Vrishti Pires, Standing Ovation and boy band BROOKHAVEN. The PET SUPERMARKET Holiday Pet Costume Contest will take place at 1:15pm on the IOA Insurance main festival stage. Pet owners can register for the contest on this website by utilizing the Eventbrite tab. The outdoor Festival located in the Dillard’s parking lot includes a KIDZONE featuring children activities. Food trucks & sponsored vendor tents will be set-up near the parade route on Maguire Blvd. The festival is free and begins at 10am and runs thru 5pm. Photos can be taken inside the Mall next to the giant Christmas Tree or you can receive a FREE professional photo with Santa Claus at the main stage in the Santa Village through December 24th.