Thousands attend annual Children's parade downtown
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- Multitasking Selena Gomez tweets about her experience in the parade.
- From left, Children’s heart patient Klaire Hicks, age 9, Selena Gomez and heart patient Shelby Hedgepeth, age 13, at the parade.
- Clowns watch the Children’s parade with spectators and volunteers in the grandstands.
- The Townview Center “Big D” Marching Band, 170 strong, quick steps down Commerce Street while playing holiday tunes.
- From left, patients Emily and Shayde Smith join “Jack the Rabbit” and other Children’s patients on a large wagon in the parade.
- Princess Leia and R2D2 from the “Star Wars” classic movie series wave at the crowds watching the parade.
- The six white horses of the Hardin-Simmons marching band lead the high-stepping musicians of the Cowboy Band down the parade route.
- The Hardin-Simmons Cowboy Band.
- The Texas All-Stars Jump Team, jump ropers from all over Texas, performs their “Jingle Bell Rock” routine during the parade.
- Members of HTE Dance perform an energetic version of the Cheetah Girls’ “Five More Days ‘til Christmas.”
- Superhero “Iron Man” shows off his super strength from atop an antique fire engine.
- Brightly colored clowns from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas.
- The Aguila Azteca Ballet Folklorico waves to crowds at the parade.
- Cruella DeVil, the villainess from “101 Dalmatians,” the musical, playing at Dallas’ Fair Park.
- Frosty the magical snowman spreads his frosty arms high above the parade route.
- Children’s employee and parade volunteer Lori Wilson sells colorful balloons.
- Mrs. Claus and Children’s patient Allison Wright, age 7, send greetings to the crowd.
- Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, center, watches the parade spectacle from the grandstands.
- That merry old elf, Santa Claus, wishes the best of the holiday season to the crowd as he makes his appearance at the end of the parade.
Conditions were sunny but cold in downtown Dallas on Dec. 5. A perfect day for the 22nd Annual Capital One Bank Adolphus Children’s Parade. For many, the big parade benefiting Children’s Medical Center officially ushers in the holiday season each year.
A bundled-up but spirited crowd estimated at some 350,000 spectators lined the downtown Dallas streets to take in the dazzling spectacle of giant inflatable balloons, cartoon characters, floats, marching bands, equestrian units, dancers, clowns and Santa Claus.
The parade’s special guest was the multitalented Selena Gomez, recording artist and star of Disney’s hit show “Wizards of Waverly Place,” who was visiting her hometown especially for the event.
Did you attend this year’s parade? Share your story on our blog, “From The Red Balloon.” In case you didn’t get a chance to see the parade, or would like a closer look, you can view a gallery of parade photos.
Broadcast locally by WFAA-TV Channel 8, the parade is viewed annually by an estimated 118 million households nationwide and in Puerto Rico. This year, the parade also was seen on the Armed Forces Television network and is nationally syndicated throughout December.
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From left, Children's heart patient Klaire Hicks, age 9, Selena Gomez and heart patient Shelby Hedgepeth, age 13, at the parade.
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