"The Karate Kid," Ralph Macchio, will kick up the excitement on Bridge Street next year as the celebrity grand marshal of the First Ever 16th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade, Visit Hot Springs announced Monday.
The announcement came as part of the inaugural Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Pop Up Pub Party, held on the Hot Springs Convention Center lawn at the corner of Malvern Avenue and Convention Boulevard, to celebrate that only six months remain until the annual parade on March 17.
A demonstration by the Professional Black Belt Academy paid homage to Macchio's silver screen legacy as Daniel LaRusso, the titular character he portrayed in 1984's "The Karate Kid," two sequels, and a YouTube Red series now in its second year.
A biography from Visit Hot Springs noted Macchio has an extensive list of film credits that also includes Johnny in Frances Ford Coppola's "The Outsiders" and "My Cousin Vinny," which co-starred Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei.
Macchio recently reprised his iconic role for the 10-part series released on YouTube Red, "Cobra Kai," which centers on Johnny Lawrence, the original film's core antagonist, reigniting a rivalry with LaRusso after reopening the Cobra Kai dojo.
"Ralph Macchio is the perfect combination for grand marshal," said Bill Solleder, marketing director for Visit Hot Springs.
"He provides the nostalgia of 'Karate Kid,' 'Crossroads' and 'The Outsiders' and is current with the hit streaming show, 'Cobra Kai.'"
Macchio became a fan favorite in 2011 on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," the biography notes. Macchio is not the first alum of the show to be in the parade; last year's grand marshal, Joey Fatone, placed second on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2007. Oscar-nominated actor Gary Busey, who was the official parade starter for the First Ever 13th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade, appeared on the show, and Mario Lopez, the grand marshal of the First Ever Fourth Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade, was also on the show.
"Ralph Macchio remains a huge star in Hollywood, with his current 'Cobra Kai' TV series on Sony Pictures Television, and he will delight fans from three generations as our celebrity grand marshal," Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, said in a news release.
"He continues our unbroken string of popular grand marshals as our little parade continues to generate interest in Hot Springs as a place where exciting things are always happening."
Solleder said when selecting grand marshals for the parade, the main criteria are nostalgia, availability, whether the star is still current and if they are "willing to march 98 feet."
Stephen "tWitch" Boss, Ellen DeGeneres' favorite DJ and "So You Think You Can Dance" star, will join the festivities as the 2019 parade's official starter.
The First Ever 16th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade will be a three-day event starting March 15 when O'Kelley's Inflatable Pub will "pop up" downtown. A free concert on Bridge Street will take place March 16.
Local on 09/18/2018