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Schenectady County & City Announce Grand Marshal of the 53rd Annual Holiday Parade

Holiday Parade Grand Marshal Announcement

Special Guests from the North Pole Help!

Officials from Schenectady County and Schenectady City are humbled to announce this year’s Grand Marshal who will kick off the 53rd Annual Holiday Parade on November 19th.

Madelyn Thorne, the Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Schenectady County, will lead the parade when it steps off at 5:00 p.m. later this month. The announcement was made live on News10ABC Friday morning in their 9:00 a.m. broadcast.

“We couldn’t think of anyone more well deserving of the honor," said Cathy Gatta, Schenectady County Legislator, and Chairperson of the Tourism, Arts & Special Events Committee. "Madelyn’s work in the nonprofit sector through the years speaks volumes to the themes and messages we’re looking to spread with this year’s festivities.”

“We are proud to kick off the holiday season this year with the 53rd Annual Holiday Parade in downtown Schenectady and we are thrilled to have the one-and-only Madelyn Thorne leading the way,” Mayor Gary McCarthy said. “This is an incredibly special event each year and we welcome families from all across the region to join us as we kick off the holiday season.”

“The parade’s theme this year is ‘Dream Big,’ and how much bigger can you dream than owning a home of your own?” said Thorne. “I am truly honored to be a part of this amazing Capital Region event, and I very much look forward to the hope this holiday season will bring to the community.”

The Grand Marshal was chosen because she is someone who embraces the parade’s value of “Dream Big” and has made big contributions to the community and helped make our County and City a better place to live, work, and play. 

The parade is scheduled to step off at 5:00 p.m. on November 19, 2022, in downtown Schenectady. The Holiday Parade is produced under the leadership of the City and County of Schenectady, and in partnership with the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation, The Capital Region Chamber, and Discover Schenectady.

This year’s parade is presented by MVP, with premier support from Price Chopper/Market32, and community support from CDTA, Best Fitness, Ellis Medicine, National Grid, and our media sponsors WTEN, The Daily Gazette, and Albany Broadcasting.

Special thanks to The Costumer who helped make Friday’s announcement more exciting.

For more information about the Holiday Parade, visit https://www.schenectadycounty.com/parade.

Follow @SchenectadyCounty on Facebook for the latest updates.