GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - The City of Gainesville is preparing for this year’s “A Very GNV Holiday Parade.”

Nationally acclaimed theatrical creator Marion Caffey and award-winning saxophonist Emmanuel Garilus were named as the event’s grand marshals.

Caffey is a Gainesville native who attended Lincoln and Gainesville High Schools. He is best known for his Broadway and television work, including “Three Mo’ Tenors” and “Street Corner Symphony" and as the producer of the “Amateur Night at the Apollo” talent competition.

Garilus, contestant at the Apollo, was the first saxophonist to win the competition in its 2025 grand finale.

“Marion J. Caffey and Emmanuel Garilus embody the best of who we are,” said Commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut. “Their achievements show what can happen when art

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