Houstonians will celebrate the official start of the holiday season with the 69th annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade Nov. 22 in downtown Houston. NBA and MLB MVPs Jose Altuve from the Houston Astros and James Harden from the Houston Rockets will join Mayor Sylvester Turner in leading this year's parade. “The annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade continues to be an iconic tradition here in the city of Houston,” Turner said in a statement. “It is a great honor to be able to host such an incredible event thanks to our generous sponsors and to be able to partner with two of Houston’s brightest sports stars ever.” According to the city of Houston, the parade first began in 1949 when the famous Santa Claus float traveled from Union Station to the downtown Foley's department store. Here's everything residents need to know if they are headed downtown to take in the sights.