TV personality Meeghan Black of Renton is grand marshal for River Day's parade

She’s cheerful and bright and her smile welcomes thousands of viewers to the wonders of the Puget Sound area and beyond. She is Meeghan Black, this year’s Renton River Days grand parade marshal.

The host of TV shows “Evening Magazine” and “Gardening with Ciscoe” has become Renton’s unofficial hostess with her involvement in many community projects. A Renton resident, Black has been co-host of the Seattle International Film Festival in Renton. She has also emceed fund-raising events for the Friends of Renton Schools and Vision House, which provides housing for the homeless.

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This is Black’s first time as a parade grand marshal, but she has attended the festival in past years with her 6-year-old daughter Erica. Black expects to cruise the parade route in a Cadillac from Brad Brotherton’s dealership and “just have fun and engage with the people.”

Without a doubt, she said she feels the need to give back to

the community because of her high-profile job, which she calls a privilege.

Whether it’s through shopping locally at C’est La Vie, where she gets her outfits, or finding where she can lend support, Black is motivated to support the city.

“I think Renton is a spectacular community,” she said. “A lot of great things are happening in Renton, a lot of expansions, developments and I just think it’s so beautiful here.”

She thinks “that it’s nice to put Renton in a positive light so that people can see it for what it is and where we’re going.”

Black moved with her husband, Greg, to the city in 2004. She is a local and grew up on Mercer Island. She likes the positive leadership of the city and feels safe and comfortable enough here to raise a family.

“It’s a great blend of everything that I grew up with and it’s affordable,” Black said.

She caught the TV news bug when she was 16-years-old, deciding then that broadcast journalism is what she wanted to do as a career. Black was in high school on the debate team and won a competition that led to her being on KIRO 7 for a brief spot. She was a guest editorialists with two other winners and her segment aired on radio and TV for a week. After that she was hooked.

Black attended the University of Washington and majored in political science and communication. She started off in the 162nd TV market in the country in Pocatello, Idaho, and then moved to Wichita, Kan. Later she moved to Spokane and eventually Seattle.

Now she enjoys whatever adventures she goes on with the “Evening Magazine” crew or gardening guru Ciscoe Morris as part of the KING TV family.

Whether it’s a week in Australia or visiting a kangaroo farm in Arlington, Wash., Black is delighted by the surprises around every corner. She’s had so many adventures that it’s hard for her to pinpoint the most exciting or interesting segment.

But, she does answer a question that’s on the minds of many viewers. Is Ciscoe Morris as zany as he appears on camera?

“What I like to tell people…he is the real deal,” said Black. “He’s an authentic person. He is goofy, he is zany, he has a great sense of humor and he is wickedly intelligent.”

She goes on to say that her co-host is passionate about what he does and if he wasn’t it wouldn’t come off well. The two have been doing the garden show for more than 10 years.

“I’m looking forward to the parade,” she said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever been like a grand marshal of a parade, so I’m a little sheepish about that because I don’t know what that entails.”

Black wants everyone to come out and wave hi to her in the parade. It starts at 10 a.m. Saturday on South Third Street.

IKEA RENTON RIVER DAYS HIGHLIGHTS

FRIDAY

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Renton Annual Art Show, Renton Community Center

• 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Art Market (crafts and booths), Liberty Park

•11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Stage Entertainment, Liberty Park

SATURDAY

• 10 a.m., River Days Parade, South Third Street

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Renton Annual Art Show, Renton Community Center

• 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Community Information Booths, Liberty Park

• 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Nibble of Renton, Liberty Park

• 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Duck Hunt II Drawings and Ducklings & Dragons Scavenger Hunt, Liberty Park