Alisha Gaddis is an Emmy and Grammy Award-winning actress, musician, writer, producer and author from Evansville, Indiana. A graduate of F.J. Reitz High School, Gaddis has built a career spanning television, music, theater, film and children’s entertainment.
In October 2026, Gaddis was named Grand Marshal of the 105th West Side Nut Club Fall Festival Main Parade, bringing the Evansville native back to the city’s West Side for one of its largest annual traditions.
Evansville roots
Gaddis grew up in Evansville and attended F.J. Reitz High School. Her connection to the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival dates back well before her professional career: as a young woman, she was a Fall Festival Queen candidate.
Her father, Bob Gaddis, served as head football coach at Reitz from 1991 through 2000 before continuing a highly successful coaching career at Columbus East. He was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
After graduating from Reitz, Alisha Gaddis attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, earning a BFA in Drama in 2003.
Entertainment career
Gaddis has worked as an actress, musician, writer and producer, with performances ranging from Broadway to the Sydney Opera House. Her television and entertainment work has appeared on outlets including PBS, Netflix, NBCUniversal, HGTV, Magnolia and Freeform.
She is perhaps best known in children’s entertainment as a member of Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, which she formed with her husband, musician Lucky Diaz.
The group became the first American act to win the Latin Grammy Award in the children’s album category when ¡Fantastico! won Best Latin Children’s Album in 2013. The group later won another Latin Grammy for Buenos Diaz in 2019.
Gaddis and the group also received Grammy nominations for Crayon Kids and Los Fabulosos. In 2025, Brillo, Brillo! won the Grammy Award for Best Children’s Music Album.
Lishy Lou and Lucky Too
Gaddis created and starred as Lishy Lou in the children’s television series Lishy Lou and Lucky Too. The series aired through PBS and earned Emmy recognition, including an Emmy Award for Gaddis as a performer.
In addition to her television and music work, Gaddis has written multiple books and worked as a filmmaker, producer and creative entrepreneur.
EVSC Hall of Fame
In 2022, Gaddis was selected for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Hall of Fame.
The honor recognized a career that began in the EVSC school system and eventually took her to stages, television productions and performances around the world.
2026 Fall Festival Grand Marshal
On October 1, 2026, the West Side Nut Club announced Gaddis as Grand Marshal of the 105th West Side Nut Club Fall Festival Main Parade.
The selection represented a homecoming for Gaddis, who grew up in Evansville, attended Reitz and had once participated in the Fall Festival as a Queen candidate.
The 2026 Main Parade is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, traveling along West Franklin Street. The parade serves as one of the closing events of the annual West Side Nut Club Fall Festival, which runs October 5–10 in 2026.