Clearwater to host its holiday parade

Kelly Stevens and Alpha Trivette will spend some time today at a special school, "taking grand marshal lessons," Trivette joked earlier in the week.

Stevens and Trivette, better known as morning show disc jockeys "Kelly and Alpha" for U-92, WYUU-92.5 FM, will serve as grand marshals for Clearwater's annual Family Holiday Parade set for this evening.

"They have to teach us what to do," Trivette said. "We never have been grand marshals before. We've been in lots of parades but we had to walk behind the horses with shovels."

Known for their witty repartee, the two have been at U-92 for almost a year. They will ride near the front of the parade.

"This will be brand new," Trivette said. "We are just going to get there early and find out what we're supposed to do. I guess they tried to find the most important celebrities in the Tampa Bay area, but none of them would do it, so here we are."

This year's parade will begin at 7 p.m. at Crest Lake Park, continue west on Cleveland Street and end in Coachman Park at Drew Street and Osceola Avenue, just north of Cleveland Street.

Entries include a color guard, scouts, local dignitaries, clowns, dancers, special vehicles, a Siberian husky club, bands and about a dozen floats of various colors and designs.

Santa Claus will ride on the final float.

A pre-parade concert will feature Kathy McAbee and Friends at 5 p.m. in Station Square Park on Cleveland Street at Garden Avenue. Santa will show up there from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

The city of Clearwater also is sponsoring a family holiday celebration from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday downtown. Cleveland Street will be closed for the festivities from Fort Harrison Avenue to Myrtle Avenue.

Activities will include an arts, crafts and antiques show from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., children's games, pony rides, a petting zoo and an adult scavenger hunt from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., free pictures with Santa at several times during the day, cookie decorating from noon to 4 p.m., make and take crafts from noon to 7 p.m. and children's train rides from 5 to 8 p.m.

Live entertainment is planned on three stages from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The "U-92 oldies stage" will feature the Sevilles and Kenny Kulaga and Rio. Also planned are a performing arts stage and a traditional holiday music stage.

For information on the parade or the festival, call 462-6531.