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59th Nashville Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting: Christmas Around the World

Presented by Piedmont Natural Gas at Public Square - Nashville

December 2, 2011

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Nashville's annual Christmas parade, "Christmas Around the World" will be held on December 2. The 2011 parade marks the 59th annual parade for Music City. Country Music Hall of Fame legend Vince Gill will serve as the Grand Marshal for the annual parade. This is a banner year for Vince Gill who marked his 20th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member in August and will debut his first record in more than five years Guitar Slinger on October 24th. Noted as one of country music’s greatest singers and songwriters of all time, Gill has sold more than 26 million albums and won 20 Grammy Awards and 18 CMA awards including Entertainer of the Year twice. Gill co-hosted the CMA Awards for 12 consecutive years and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. Vince Gill will join the Mayor and his family in “flipping the switch” on over 5,000 lights on the city’s 40-foot-tall Christmas tree. The ceremony will include a performance by Vince’s daughter Jenny Gill. Jenny will sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” a song she recorded with her father when she was eight years old.

Tennessee Titans’ Matt Hasselbeck and his wife Sarah will be special guests at the tree lighting ceremony and will ride on a float in the parade. The tree lighting ceremony will also include a performance by Country music singer Sarah Darling, who is best known for her No.1 music video for “Something To Do With Your Hands.” Darling will perform her Christmas single “O Holy Night.” Also, a quartet from the Barbershop Harmony Society will make their fifth consecutive appearance at the tree lighting ceremony to perform “The Chipmunk Song” and other holiday classics. Hot chocolate and holiday treats will be provided by The District, a volunteer organization that is dedicated to the historic areas of downtown Nashville.

The parade, a longtime Music City tradition, officially kick starts the holiday season downtown with the lighting of the city Christmas tree at the Public Square Plaza where Gill will be joined by Mayor Dean and executives from Piedmont Natural Gas which has sponsored the Nashville Christmas Parade since it originated in 1952. The theme of this year’s parade is “Christmas Around the World,” and following the lighting of the Christmas tree, Gill will lead parade floats through the heart of downtown from 2nd Avenue through Broadway.

All proceeds from the parade will benefit the Piedmont Natural Gas Share the Warmth program, which assists low-income families in Nashville who need help paying energy bills regardless of their energy source or the time of year. Since 2003, Piedmont Natural Gas and its customers, along with the Piedmont Natural Gas Foundation, have donated more than $1.5 million to Share the Warmth energy assistance funds.

To stay up to date on parade happenings and announcements, visit the Nashville Christmas Parade Facebook page. Additional information on how to participate in this year’s parade is also available at the Nashville Christmas Parade website.