Iconic Southern California sports broadcaster Fred Roggin named Celebrity Grand Marshal of 31st annual Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade

Award-winning Southern California sports broadcaster and Coachella Valley resident Fred Roggin, who recently retired as Sports Director at NBC4 Los Angeles after an incredible 43 years, will join Canine Mayor Buddy Holly and several other hometown community grand marshals leading the way down world famous Palm Canyon Drive when the 31st Annual Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade returns to downtown on Saturday, Dec. 2.

The parade, the City’s signature holiday event, which brings as many as 100,000 residents and visitors to downtown annually, kicks off at 5:45 p.m. at Palm Canyon and Ramon Road – and features spectacular twinkling floats, magnificent marching bands, huge holiday balloons, and a visit from Santa Claus of course! Once again, the Festival of Lights will be broadcast live on NBC Palm Springs. Coverage begins at 6 p.m.

In addition, Roggin will join the City Council, Canine Mayor Buddy Holly, Santa Claus, and the parade’s group of hometown community grand marshals, who include local film critic Manny the Movie Guy, Palm Springs native Hannah Wright, the winner of the reality series “Love Island,” and Fire Chief Paul Alvarado and his wife, former local reporter Kitty Alvarado, for the lighting of the City’s spectacular 22-foot Holiday Tree on Friday, Dec. 1 at 5:15 p.m. sharp in Frances Stevens Park. Prior to the Tree Lighting, the Holiday Student Banner Awards kick off at 4 p.m.

A broadcasting icon in Southern California, Roggin was part of the longest running evening news team with weathercaster Fritz Coleman. Many Southern Californians will remember the legendary “Fritz & Fred” promotional campaign of comical ads that revolutionized news marketing and programming in the 1980s and 1990s. In addition to anchoring weeknight sports, Roggin hosted “Going Roggin,” a popular weekend sports commentary program – and created and hosted “The Challenge,” a live multi-platform football show that aired after Sunday Night Football for 16 seasons. His signature creation, “Roggin’s Heroes,” highlighted remarkable plays in high school sports; a first of its kind at the time, which led to the show becoming a national syndicated hit.

Roggin has earned over 30 Los Angeles Emmy Awards, more than 20 Golden Mike Awards, three prestigious Associated Press Awards, and numerous Los Angeles Press Club Awards. He was inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame in 2014 and the California Sports Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame in 2019. He continues to co-host his own radio show on the Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Station AM 570 and the iHeart app, with former professional football player Rodney Peet. In addition to sports, Roggin has been a guest on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson twice and hosted a talk show on the Game Show Network.

“The City of Palm Springs is excited to welcome the legendary Fred Roggin to Palm Canyon Drive as the Celebrity Grand Marshal of the 31st annual Festival of Lights Parade,” said Mayor Grace Garner. “A broadcasting icon, Fred is revered by fans throughout Southern California as the region’s sports authority that we’ve all known, loved, and watched on our televisions for more than four decades. We are thrilled to have him join us as we celebrate the magic of the holidays, Palm Springs style!”