Elaborate floats, marching bands, high-flying balloons and more. Photo: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Houston's 76th annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade clucks through downtown tomorrow morning.
State of play: Houston mascots Toro, Clutch, Orbit and Diesel will serve as grand marshals for the parade, which kicks off at 9am.
What to expect: As one of the nation's longest-running Thanksgiving Day parades, this long-loved tradition draws hundreds of thousands of Houstonians each year.
Dozens of participants will march with large floats and balloon displays, including the new 40-foot H-E-Buddy balloon and a 50-foot golden dragon balloon.
The entertainment slate features Christina Wells, Danny Gokey, Kam Franklin (of The Suffers) and country artist Payton Howie. Theatre Under the Stars will present Broadway selections and there will be several dance shows and marching bands.
Several streets will be closed starting at 6am near the parade route. All streets are expected to reopen by 3pm.
Flashback: The parade began in 1949 when Santa arrived at Union Station and rode his sleigh to the downtown Foley's department store.
If you go: The route starts on Smith and Lamar streets and ends at Smith and Dallas streets.
The parade is free, though a limited number of reserved seats along Smith Street are available online for $33–$38.
How to watch: ABC13 will stream the parade on air and online.
