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Yule parade deep-sixed in favor of festival
Diminished public participation factors in demise of 'Holiday Parade'
By MARK DONOVAN and RAY GRONBERG, Durham, NC Herald-Sun

EXCERPT:

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA --- The City's Holiday Parade, a downtown fixture falling on a Saturday between Thanksgiving and Christmas for a decade, will be replaced this year by a downtown festival, mini-parade and tree lighting Dec. 4.

Parks and Recreation Department spokeswoman Cynthia Booth said that the decision to move from the traditional parade to a festival format could be traced to declining attendance and added that the move had been taken by DPR Special Events Manager Rukea Womack after speaking with "stakeholders" including downtown businesses and members of the community.

"We're trying something new, something more inclusive to encourage families to participate, not just to observe," Booth said, adding that the decision had had nothing to do with city budget considerations during the economic recession.

City Manager Tom Bonfield said the decision to replace the parade with what he termed "a winterfest event" came for several reasons, among them the "lack of participation" in the parade in recent years.

"The numbers just continued to dwindle," he said.

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Founder's daughter will continue Crazy California Clowns
By Alicia Doyle, Ventura County, CA Star
Posted September 7, 2010 at 5:53 p.m.

EXCERPT:

With the recent passing of Dennis Van Vuren --- the Janss Mall Santa Claus --- his daughter, Erin, will continue to run Crazy California Clowns, the family business her father began three decades ago before his unexpected death at the age of 53.

"I had so many people come up to me at the service (saying) that they wanted me to carry on my father's legacy, and that they still wanted Crazy California Clowns in their life," said Erin, 26, whose father died on May 30th, after suffering a heart attack two days earlier.

"My dad began clownin' around in 1980 and built his entertainment career from there. It all started with him as Irish the Clown," continued Miss Van Vuren, who took over as co-owner of Crazy California Clowns along with her best friend, 33-year-old Linda McDowell. "My dad did magic and clown shows for families since 1980, and it was never a standard show --- he made the children a part of the magic, and became a part of people's families over the years."

A few years after creating the family business, her father took a job as Santa Claus at the Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks.

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NBC Orders 'Shrek,' 'Kung Fu Panda' Holiday Specials
By Eric Sundermann, Hollywood.com Staff | Tuesday, September 07, 2010

EXCERPT:

Everyone's favorite green, giant, and obnoxious ogre is returning --- to the small screen.

NBC has ordered two new holiday specials for the upcoming season from DreamWorks Animation: Scared Shrekless and Kung Fu Panda --- The Holiday Special.

The move continues the relationship established last year between DreamWorks and NBC when the Peacock Network aired Monsters vs. Aliens in Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space and Merry Madagascar.

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A Malaysian TV station said Monday it withdrew an advertisement marking the Muslim festival of Eid al Fitr after the ad’s Christmas-like theme was criticized for being “un-Islamic.” The private TV3 channel last week began airing the one-minute commercial marking the end of the Ramadan fasting month. The ad showed a white-haired man wearing an [...]

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Time to name that Christmas parade theme

The Fallbrook, CA Village News
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
Issue 35, Volume 14

EXCERPT:

FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA --- Fallbrook's 29th Annual Christmas Parade marches down Main Street Saturday, December 4th, 2010, and parade organizers are looking for a fresh theme for this year's holiday event.

Last year, Ed Warr was the winner of the theme contest. While riding on the Grangetto's entry float, he enjoyed having the Theme Winner banner carried in front of the float, proclaiming his entry to be the Parade Committee's favorite: "Fallbrook's Christmas Spirit."

The winning theme has been, and will be again, the basis for all Parade publicity. This year, the winner will once again be promenading down Main Street in a convertible provided by the Committee (or riding on their very own float, as Mr. Warr did), waving to envious friends and neighbors.

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