Former GUNS N’ ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER drummer Matt Sorum is set to shine as the celebrity grand marshal of the 32nd annual Palm Springs Festival Of Lights Parade on December 7. This spectacular event will illuminate downtown Palm Springs at 5:45 p.m. sharp, so make sure to mark your calendars!

Star-Studded Community Grand Marshals

Joining Sorum in the spotlight are some truly remarkable Community Grand Marshals. Local favorite Dave Karger, the charming host of Turner Classic Movies and a fixture at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, will add his star power. Kelly Golightly, an internationally adored Palm Springs style icon, will also grace the parade. Alongside them, the dynamic duo from the Coachella Valley Firebirds - Gino LaMont (former NBC Palm Springs broadcaster) and NHL legend Grant Fuhr (the one and only former Edmonton Oilers all-star)! Plus, local actress Mädchen Amick, best known for her role in “Riverdale”, will serve as the Honorary Grand Marshal.

Parade Highlights

This is the parade that you simply cannot afford to miss. Picture dazzling floats twinkling with holiday magic, marching bands that will have you tapping your feet with joy. Giant inflatable holiday balloons will add to the festive atmosphere, and of course, a very special visit from Santa Claus himself! With the award-winning journalist Hank Plante at the mic as the parade’s official emcee, this iconic event is bound to light up your holiday season.The special performances include:* The Tap-Dancing Christmas Trees, all the way from Oakland! These talented trees will bring a unique and lively touch to the parade with their rhythmic steps.* The Changels Choir from Adopt the Arts. With 70 kids singing their hearts out, their voices will fill the air with holiday cheer.* Coachella Valley High School EXLP Dancers. These dancers will showcase their skills and energy, adding a vibrant element to the parade.* Cathedral City High School Ballet Folklorico. Their graceful movements and traditional costumes will be a sight to behold.

Pre-Parade Fun

The fun kicks off the night before, on Friday, December 6. Kelly, Gino, and Grant will join mayor Jeffrey Bernstein, City Councilmembers, and Santa Claus himself to light up the City’s stunning 22-foot Holiday Tree at 5:15 p.m. in Frances Stevens Park. The evening includes a meet-and-greet with Santa, where children can share their wishes. Free cookies and cocoa will be available to warm everyone up, and there will be arts and crafts for the little ones to enjoy. Additionally, the Holiday Student Banner Awards ceremony at 4 p.m. will get everyone in the festive spirit.Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein said in a statement, “Palm Springs is the perfect place to celebrate the magic of the holidays, and we can’t wait to welcome the amazing Grand Marshals Dave Karger, Matt Sorum, Kelly Golightly, Gino LaMont and Grant Fuhr to Palm Canyon Drive. It’s a celebration that’s truly like no place else and we invite everyone from the Coachella Valley to join us for the fun!”Sorum said, “I’m proud and honored to announce I’ve been chosen to be the Celebrity Grand Marshal of The Palm Springs ‘Festival Of Lights’ Christmas Parade. December 7th. I’ll be in tow with our amazing honor choir The Changels of 70 kids singing their way down Palm Canyon Blvd to our co-founder Jane Lynch‘s song ‘We’re Going Caroling’. I have experience in the parade world from my days in school band pictured [below] with Mission Viejo High School Marching Band.”The Palm Springs Festival Of Lights Parade first kicked off in the early 1990s along Palm Canyon Drive and has been held every year since on the first Saturday in December. It has become a beloved holiday tradition in downtown Palm Springs. The parade was the brainchild of former mayor Will Kleindienst and a small group of community-minded individuals who believed it was important to offer the Coachella Valley an event that would allow residents and visitors to celebrate the spirit and joy of the holiday season. Over the years, it has brought in an estimated 100,000 people annually to the downtown. Over the past 29 years, the parade has featured a host of marching bands, performing groups as well as the Budweiser Clydesdales, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Snoopy and the Gang - and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus!Yet more than anything else, it is the parade’s signature floats adorned in thousands of colorful holiday lights and huge Macy’s-style balloons that keeps the crowds coming back for more. Consistently voted one of the best local events in the Coachella Valley, the parade was also voted one of the Top Ten Holiday Parades in the country in an AOL survey.Sorum, who replaced Steven Adler in GUNS N’ ROSES, recorded the highly successful albums “Use Your Illusion I” and “Use Your Illusion II” (both 1991) and “The Spaghetti Incident” (1994). He also supported the group on the “Use Your Illusion” tour and can be heard on GUNS N’ ROSES‘ “Live Era: ’87-’93” (1999) and “Greatest Hits” (2004).Sorum was among the GUNS N’ ROSES members who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April 2012. He, Adler, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan attended the ceremony, while singer Axl Rose and founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin stayed home.The musician, who has also played with THE CULT, VELVET REVOLVER and HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, is not involved with GN’R’s hugely successful reunion tour, which features Rose, Slash and McKagan alongside drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.Sorum’s autobiography, “Double Talkin’ Jive: True Rock ‘N’ Roll Stories From The Drummer Of Guns N’ Roses, The Cult, And Velvet Revolver”, arrived in May 2022 via Rare Bird Books.Photo credit: Michael Segal