New Year’s Day Programming - 2018

Airing Monday, January 1, 2018

Strike up the band, set the lights and get ready to raise the curtains! RFD-TV, RURAL RADIO 147, and The Cowboy Channel kick off the New Year with a line-up of two LIVE parades on January 1st, starting with London’s New Year’s Day Parade at 7 a.m. ET. Then it’s the spectacle and splendor of the annual Tournament of Roses Parade at 11 a.m. ET. The fun kicks off with a pre-show starting at 10:30 a.m. ET LIVE from Pasadena, California. Both the pre-show and the parade will repeat on RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel immediately following the conclusion of the parade (the schedule/times are listed below). The parade can be watched globally on RFD-TV’s Country Club online streaming service and is available via Amazon on Rural TV, Roku, and at rfdcc.com.

The three networks will also be a part of “Ag PhD’s” “Salute to Farmers” float which is being created to reconnect city with country and showcase how farmers and ranchers touch us every day. The float will feature seeds from all fifty states alongside American agriculture producers. 2018 marks a big year for Ag PhD as they celebrate their 20^th year on RFD-TV and a five-year anniversary on RURAL RADIO Channel 147!

“When people think about agriculture today, many speak of GMO’s, biotechnology, pesticides, and food safety,” said Darren Hefty of Ag PhD. “We want Americans to think about what agriculture is truly all about, the people. Ag is just families feeding families. Almost all farming in the U.S. is by family farmers who are working hard every day to provide this nation with the safest, cheapest, and most abundant food supply in the world. It’s time to thank farmers for that!”

The London New Year’s Day Parade7 AM ET | 6 AM CT | 5 AM MT | 4 AM PT

The 2018 theme for the London New Year’s Day Parade is “ShowTime!” The parade features more than 8,000 performers, more than 20 American marching bands, and 1,500 cheerleaders among the participants along the 2.2-mile route.

The 129th Rose Parade, presented by Honda, returns! The Pre-Show will take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of the floats, performers, marching bands, horses, and myriad other special attractions as they all get ready to take their places in the spectacle that is the Tournament of Roses Parade, held annually in Pasadena, California.

The Tournament of Roses is America’s New Year Celebration, a greeting to the world on the first day of the year, and a salute to the community spirit and love of pageantry that have thrived in Pasadena for more than 100 years. The 2018 parade theme is “Making a Difference” and focuses on honoring all of the people in our communities, who quietly and without desire for reward or recognition, act in selfless, generous and kind ways to aid or benefit others.” Actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise will serve as Grand Marshall.

RFD-TV will kick-off our coverage with the 2018 Rose Parade Pre-Show at 10:30 AM ET on January 1. New Year’s Day events will also be broadcast live on The Cowboy Channel and on RURAL RADIO Channel 147 on SiriusXM.

Note equine lovers can appreciate the splendor of “Equestfest,” presented by Wells Fargo, the annual precursor to the Rose Parade that celebrates the equestrian units that are participating. Held at the Equidome at Burbank’s Los Angeles Equestrian Center, “Equestfest” goes behind-the-scenes to showcase equestrian performances, exhibit drills and dances, trick riding, roping and a variety of breeds, along with impressive and unique tack and costumes. Some of the units typically participating in the Rose Parade include the Budweiser Clydesdales, The New Buffalo Soldiers, the Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard, the U.S. Forest Service Park String, and several mounted drill teams. “Equestfest” will premiere on December 31st, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. ET and encore at 6:00 p.m. ET EXCLUSIVELY on The Cowboy Channel. Equestfest will also air on January 1st, 2018 starting at 8:30 a.m. ET prior to the Rose Parade Pre-Show. (Equestfest will NOT air on RFD-TV).