'America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration' Parade Will Be Live On WCVB Channel 5 As Well As Its Streaming Platform Very Local

For the First Time, A Special Edition of “America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration” Will Air Nationally in 24 Markets Across Hearst Television StationsBoston, MA – October 30, 2023 – Get ready for Plymouth’s much-anticipated, annual “America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration” (AHTC) parade LIVE on WCVB Channel 5 as well as its streaming platform Very Local. WCVB, Boston’s news and community leader, will air exclusive coverage of the parade and its pageantry on Saturday, November 18 from 10AM-12PM, and all the action will be available to stream LIVE and on-demand in its entirety on the station’s streaming app, Very Local powered by WCVB. There will be an encore showing of the special on Channel 5 on Thanksgiving morning at 9AM. In addition, for the first time in the history of the celebration, the parade will have national television distribution of a special highlights show airing in 24 markets across the Hearst Television group, WCVB’s parent company. WCVB EyeOpener anchors Antoinette Antonio and Doug Meehan will host the parade, along with Olly deMacedo, long-time parade Executive Director, and Dr. Paul Jehle, the Executive Director of the Plymouth Rock Foundation and Historian. WCVB anchors Maria Stephanos and Ed Harding, chief meteorologist Cindy Fitzgibbon, traffic specialist Katie Thompson, meteorologist Mike Wankum, and sports anchor Duke Castiglione will provide color commentary from WCVB’s official float. WCVB’s float will also include special guests Justin Spencer and Ryan Vezina of “Recycled Percussion,” a high-energy performance group whose hit show “Chaos and Kindness” can be seen on Very Local. This year’s parade theme is “The Price of Freedom,” celebrating U.S. veterans and their sacrifice to build the nation. The festivities kick off at 10AM from historic Plymouth Rock and then will continue around Water Street to Court Street, ending at the corner of Court Street and Nelson Street. More than two dozen intricately designed and constructed floats representing historic events from every period of American history will be featured during the program, along with several local musical acts, high school marching bands, and military bands honoring our country’s military veterans.HOW TO WATCHWCVB Channel 5: Live Televised Special on WCVB, Saturday, November 18 from 10AM-12PM. Encore Presentation on Thanksgiving morning on WCVB, Thursday, November 23 from 9-11AM.Very Local Powered By WCVB Channel 5: Live Streaming as well as on-demand access to the parade will be available exclusively through the Very Local app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, or through the app store on your mobile device. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOADAbout WCVB Channel 5WCVB is Boston’s broadcast/digital media leader, providing news, weather, sports, community service and entertainment on multiple platforms including WCVB Channel 5, wcvb.com, WCVB mobile and MeTV Boston. Founded by community leaders in 1972, WCVB is committed to its mission to serve the region with quality local content. In addition to 47 hours of NewsCenter 5 coverage each week, original offerings include Chronicle, the nation’s longest running local news magazine; CityLine, a weekly urban magazine program; and On The Record, a weekly political roundtable. WCVB, Boston’s ABC affiliate station, is owned by Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst, a leading media company whose global holdings include 35 television stations and two radio stations. Follow us on Facebook (wcvb5) and Twitter (@wcvb).About Hearst TelevisionHearst Television owns and/or operates 35 television and two radio stations serving 27 media markets across 39 states reaching over 22 million U.S. television households. Through its partnership with nearly all major networks, Hearst Television distributes national content over more than 120 video channels including programming from ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MY Net, MeTV, Estrella and more. The radio stations are leaders in Baltimore news/talk and rock music listenership. Its Hearst Media Production Group unit produces original programming across linear and streaming platforms for domestic and international distribution. Its Very Local app, free to download on household OTT devices and available across popular streaming services, offers 24/7 access to local news, weather and an array of local and regional programming. Hearst Television is recognized as one of the industry's premier companies and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst.About America’s Hometown Thanksgiving CelebrationOur mission is to educate the public while preserving our country’s important history, starting with the Pilgrim legacy and Thanksgiving story while recognizing all those who have fought to protect the American way of life. We will accomplish this goal by producing a Thanksgiving celebration of excellence in Plymouth, America’s Hometown, where Thanksgiving began. Through concerts honoring military sacrifice and a parade chronicling the Pilgrim legacy, spectators will leave with a sense of history and pride.The 27rd Annual America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration will be held at the birthplace of Thanksgiving, Plymouth, Massachusetts on the weekend before Thanksgiving. The weekend of festivities has become a beloved holiday occasion as well as an important link to our nation’s history and heritage. For years, hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life have traveled to the historic Plymouth Harbor and Waterfront to experience a bounty of authentic Americana. The celebration of Thanksgiving becomes history-brought-to-life as Pilgrims, Native Americans, Soldiers, Patriots, and Pioneers proudly climb out of the history books and onto the streets of Plymouth.