NEWPORT BEACH, CA (September 16, 2014) – Comedic actress Leslie Mann and Mark McGrath, actor, songwriter and lead singer for the band Sugar Ray have been named as the first ever Grand Marshals for the 106th Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade. Mann and McGrath have both called Newport Beach home since their childhood attending Corona del Mar High School and are looking forward to coming back to Newport Beach on opening night to take part in this historical and fun holiday event.
The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade and Ring of Lights home decorating competition is Newport Beach’s Christmas card to the world. The boat parade runs for five consecutive nights, beginning Wednesday, December 17 and ending Sunday, December 21, 2014. Each night the parade starts at Bay Island at 6:30 p.m. and finishes at the same site at approximately 9:00 p.m., completing its 14.7-mile route around Newport Harbor.
The theme for the 2014 Christmas Boat Parade is “Deck the Hulls with Bows of Jolly”.
“We are incredibly honored to have Leslie Mann and Mark McGrath as Grand Marshals for this year’s parade. It has been thrilling to watch both of their successful careers throughout the years and how wonderful to have them back in their hometown at the holidays. The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade embodies the spirit of generosity, kindness and a true passion and love for community akin to Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” says Newport Beach & Company President and CEO Gary Sherwin.
Each year, many boat and home participants decorate with millions of lights and decorations, which helped Newport Beach earn the designation in 2011 as the “#2 Destination in the Country for Holiday Lights” by Yahoo Travel. Additionally, the Christmas Boat Parade has been hailed as “One of the top ten holiday happenings in the nation” by the New York Times.
Serving, as the backdrop for the hundreds of lighted boats in the parade is the annual “Ring of Lights” contest. A spectacle all its own, beautifully decorated bayside homes and businesses surrounding the harbor go “all out” with their own holiday spirit, featuring everything from roof-top animated scenes to dancing Christmas trees. With its own judged categories and prizes awarded, the “Ring of Lights” has become as celebrated as the boat parade itself.
The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade and Ring of Lights are organized by the Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce. The organizing committees look forward each year to see how the boat owners and homeowners will decorate around the theme. Some boat owners in the past have spent over $50,000 to decorate their vessels for the event.
With a significant positive financial impact on the city, especially to its restaurants, hotels and charters in terms of tourism, marketing and generating business during the holiday season, the Parade continues to be a highlight of the Newport Beach lifestyle.
Leslie Mann is Hollywood’s reigning funny girl. Funny and gorgeous, Mann’s breakout role came opposite Jim Carey in The Cable Guy, which is where she met her now husband, writer/director/producer Judd Apatow. Since then she has topped the box office in hits like, This is 40, Knocked Up and The 40-Year Old Virgin. She has also lent her voice to animated films, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, ParaNorman, Rio, and Rio 2. Among her other feature films are George of the Jungle, Big Daddy, Orange County, 17 Again and The Change Up. Most recently Leslie starred opposite Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton in, The Other Woman.
Mark McGrath began singing in 1988 and in 1994, his band Sugar Ray signed with Atlantic Records. Their first success came in 1997 with the song “Fly”. Since then, Sugar Ray has had numerous hits spanning five albums including songs “Every Morning”, “Someday”, and “When It’s Over.” McGrath, also an actor is known for hosting shows like ‘Killer Karaoke’ and ‘Extra.’ He was most recently seen in the campy TV phenomenon “Sharknado 2: The Second One.”
Presenting sponsors of the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade and Ring of Lights are the City of Newport Beach, Visit Newport Beach, Inc., Simple Green and Meguiar’s.
For more information about the 106th Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, please visit www.christmasboatparade.com. For information on hotel packages, or restaurants with specials during the parade go to www.visitnewportbeach.com.
About Newport Beach & Company
Founded in January 2013, Newport Beach & Co. is a non-profit organization established to serve as the official marketing agency for the city of Newport Beach. The agency seeks to bring together all of the marketing entities connected to the Newport Beach brand, and is designed to oversee separate business units that include Visit Newport Beach, Dine Newport Beach, Celebrate Newport Beach, Enterprise Newport Beach and Newport Beach TV. Additionally, Newport Beach & Co. includes the Newport Beach Foundation focused on creative charitable endeavors that support the business community.