The city of Gainesville named award-winning saxophonist Emmanuel Garilus and nationally acclaimed producer, director and theatrical creator Marion J. Caffey as the co-grand marshals of the 2025 A Very GNV Holiday Parade.
According to a press release sent Friday, the parade will also include a special appearance by Star Center Theatre as it celebrates its silver anniversary, marking 25 years of empowering and teaching young performers in the community.
Past grand marshals included basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal (2024) and former Florida Gators football coach and 1966 Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier (2023).
Caffey is a Gainesville native who was raised in Lincoln Estates and attended Lincoln and Gainesville high schools. He is the long-time producer of Amateur Night at the Apollo, which is the longest-running talent competition in America. He is also the co-creative director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial groundbreaking in Washington, D.C., where he worked with a group of stars that included Gladys Knight, Oprah Winfrey and an audience that included three former U.S. Presidents. He is also known for his TV and Broadway work, which includes the Three Mo’ Tenors and Street Corner Symphony.
“I’m deeply honored to return to Gainesville as a grand marshal,” Caffey said in the release. “The arts gave me direction and purpose as a young person. My first show as an actor was at Gainesville Community Playhouse. Seeing how this city now invests in its youth through creativity and education is just fantastic and being part of that is a goal of mine.”
Caffey returned to Gainesville in 2023 to serve as the artistic director for One Nation One Project Gainesville (ONOP GNV), the local arm of a two-year national initiative that promotes community health and well-being through culture and the arts. The project was championed by Gainesville City Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker, a strong proponent of the idea that arts, culture and creative opportunity can offer transformational alternatives to violence and disconnection. The city commission chose to focus on reducing youth gun violence and allocated $650,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for ONOP GNV programs. At the initiative’s culminating event, a city of Gainesville Apollo Theater Youth Talent Search, Garilus won a chance to perform at the Harlem theater.
Over the next few months, Garilus made history, winning every round of the Apollo’s four-level talent competition and becoming the first saxophonist to take home the Amateur Night grand prize. His performance of “I Will Always Love You” earned him national recognition and a professional development opportunity in Los Angeles.
“To appear as a grand marshal with the people who lifted me up is a reminder that every note, every act of kindness, every piece of art can change a life,” said Garilus in the release. “This moment isn’t just about gratitude—it’s about purpose. I’m honored to celebrate what’s possible when faith, discipline and community come together through the arts.”
The parade will also celebrate the singers, dancers and actors of Star Center Theatre as the organization marks its 25th anniversary. Founded by Artistic Director Rhonda Wilson, Star Center is known for inclusive youth programming and vibrant performances that cultivate emerging local talent.
Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut, who led the effort to establish the first A Very GNV Holiday Parade in 2023 and continues to spearhead community support for the event every year, finds special resonance in the selection of grand marshals who so fully represent Gainesville’s creative soul.
“Marion J. Caffey and Emmanuel Garilus embody the best of who we are,” said Chestnut in the release. “Their achievements show what can happen when art, mentorship and opportunity meet. Honoring them—along with the Star Center Theatre’s wonderful mission and talented young people—reminds us how the arts can continue to unite and uplift our entire community.”
The 2025 A Very GNV Holiday Parade kicks off at noon on Saturday, Dec. 6, starting at W. University Avenue and 6th Street and ending near the Alachua County Public Schools Administration Building at 620 E. University Ave.
Immediately following the parade, families are invited to enjoy the free Holiday Kids’ Dance Party with DJ E-LO at Bo Diddley Plaza, then experience the city of Gainesville’s annual Holiday Lights Celebration at the historic Thomas Center Gardens from 5-8 p.m.
“This parade has become one of our most joyful and unifying traditions,” said Gainesville City Manager Cynthia W. Curry in the release. “It celebrates who we are as a community—and this year’s theme connects us through the homegrown creative spirit that makes Gainesville shine around the nation.”
Parade entry registration remains open through Monday, Nov. 17. Information on participation, sponsorship and event details is available at GainesvilleFL.gov/parade