CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Opening Day will be expanded to what Reds Chief Operating Officer Phil Castelini is calling opening week.

The game will be played on Thursday, March 29. The 99th annual Findlay Market Parade will follow a couple day later on monday, April 2 at noon.

For the first time, the parade will have two grand marshals. They are Danny Graves and Sam LeCure.

While having two grand marshals may have come from left field, the choice certainly did not. Both Graves and LeCure will sit in the broadcast booth with Marty and Cowboy this season. "So we got two great guys coming for the parade. They're also going to be working for the Reds this year in the broadcasting booth so everybody's going to get to know these guys real well and that's our way of saying 'hey, welcome back to Cincinnati'," said organizers Neil Luken. "We want you guys to enjoy this, we want to show you how proud we are of our city and our heritage and of the Reds."

Parade organizer Neil Luken acknowledges having Opening Day and the parade on two different days will be different, but he says it is still going to be a great day.

And Castellini calls the parade "one of the best traditions in Cincinnati."

As for Graves and LeCure, they are in good company. Former grand marshals include Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench and Sean Casey.

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