STARS JOIN SANTA ANA’S TOY PARADE

On the sound stage at the CBS lot in Studio City, actors and crew paced through another chapter in the continuing saga of the nighttime soap opera “Falcon Crest.”

Outside, in the show’s makeup trailer, actress Ana-Alicia had her mind on the holidays--she planned to cook a dinner for 15 friends and family the next day, Thanksgiving.

Another holiday event was also around the corner for the actress. Ana-Alicia and “Falcon Crest” costar Lorenzo Lamas will serve as grand marshals Saturday of Toys on Parade, the annual event that brings celebrities and giant helium-filled character balloons to the streets of Santa Ana.

The actress, speaking as a makeup artist prepared her for an upcoming scene, said she accepted an invitation to join the parade because of its support of Toys for Tots, the U.S. Marine Corps program that channels donated toys to needy youths.

The Mexico-born actress, who also runs a fledgling production company, said she is enthusiastic about making a public appearance in Santa Ana, which has a large Latino community. “It’s nice for the kids to see Latin kids--older kids--doing well,” she said. “It lets them know they can do really well.”

In recent years, Ana-Alicia has ridden in parades in El Paso, Tex., Philadelphia and Miami. “So I’ve done my share of parades,” she said. “This is not for money. This is just for fun, and it’s a good cause.”

In a nearby dressing room, Lamas talked about his involvement in Toys on Parade. “Basically, I got involved in the parade because of ‘Dancing to the Hits,’ a syndicated show that I do,” the actor said. “They were putting together a float with some of our dancers on it, and they asked me if I’d like to help share the holiday spirit with my teammates.”

Lamas says the show--which he hosts--keeps him in touch with musical trends. The actor, whose budding career as a professional stock car driver has been well-publicized, has an eye on adding music as another sideline.

Public appearances are not usually on Lamas’ expanding list of activities, but he is making an exception for Saturday’s event. “I’m looking forward to the parade because I love the season,” the actor said. “And it’s fun.”

Toys on Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the corner of Santa Ana Boulevard and Ross Street and is scheduled to end at 11:30 a.m.

The parade will be broadcast live on KHJ-TV, Channel 9 and will be rebroadcast on Christmas Day. In addition to grand marshals Lamas and Ana-Alicia, the parade will feature Tina Yothers of “Family Ties” as junior grand marshal, comedian Rip Taylor as parade marshal and 30 other television personalities.