Two Mexican soap opera stars will join this year’s Christmas festivities.
Telenovela, film and musical star Ariadne Diaz and telenovela actor, model and singer David Zepeda will take part in McAllen’s annual holiday parade, city officials announced Friday.
McAllen City Commissioner Victor “Seby” Haddad introduced the two actors during a news conference Friday morning.
“Our first celebrity is as beautiful as she is talented and hard-working. She is also a true activist and animal lover,” Haddad said. “Ariadne Diaz is a classically trained ballerina, has been in a telenovela, play, musical or movie every year since 2007 and has been actively involved in PETA Latin America, successfully getting cosmetic testing on animals banned in Mexico.”
Haddad next touted Zepeda’s accolades.
“Since 2007, he has appeared in countless telenovelas, winning Best Lead Antagonist and Best Lead Male Actor in the TV y Novelas Awards,” Hadded said.
He added that Zepeda has competed in several international modeling competitions, appeared in various films including Jeepers Creepers 2, Desbudos and Two of a Kind (2008), and has released two albums.
“And, in his most daring artistic move yet, appeared in a couple of productions where he was completely nude,” Haddad added. “Much to the dismay of many of his female fans here in the Rio Grande Valley, he will be appropriately and completely dressed when he makes his debut at our parade here in December.”
In addition to the newly announced star power, McAllen announced the inclusion of several high school bands in the parade.
Bands from the McAllen school district — from McAllen High School, Memorial High School, and Nikki Rowe High School — will feature in the procession as well as Edinburg school district bands such as those from Economedes High School and Robert Vela High School.
Bands from the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district, including PSJA North High School, PSJA Memorial High School and PSJA Southwest High School, will also perform during the parade.
The other featured high school bands will be from La Joya, Palmview, Sharyland, Sharyland Pioneer and Valley View.
The McAllen Holiday Parade is scheduled at 6 p.m. Dec. 3.
It will kick off from the McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium at 2001 N. Bicentennial Blvd.
Tickets for stadium seats start at $10 plus service fees. They can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or at the McAllen Performing Arts Center Box Office which is located at 801 Convention Center Blvd.
