As Raleigh prepares for the 80th anniversary of its Christmas parade, the city is formally welcoming the holiday season. The event, which is scheduled for next Saturday, is a tribute to the resiliency and joy of the local community in addition to being an annual tradition. It is anticipated that the downtown area would be bustling with activity as fans assemble to watch vehicles and floats return after a 2022 disaster.
Jennifer Martin, the executive director of Shop Local Raleigh, stressed the importance of the march, telling CBS17, “There is so much tradition and community pride for this event, and this really is the people’s parade, it’s the people’s event.” They put a lot of effort into making this happen. In anticipation of the celebration, parade participants are preparing to comply with stringent safety restrictions after a unanimous City Council resolution in June.
The Raleigh Christmas Parade has a long history dating back to 1939, when it drew an estimated 30,000 spectators and created what was dubbed Raleigh’s biggest traffic gridlock.One of the Southeast’s oldest holiday parades, according to ABC11, started out as a nighttime procession before World War II interrupted it. After that, the procession moved to its present daylight schedule and has continued to be a popular custom for both locals and tourists.
The parade, which kicks off the holiday shopping season, is also a huge lure for the local economy. Marcus King, a Grammy nominee, will be the Grand Marshal, lending some notoriety to the procession. According to parade organizers quoted by WRAL, families are anticipated to begin lining the streets early, with some arriving as early as 7 a.m. Most downtown decks will offer free parking, which is good news for the more than 80,000 people who are expected to visit the city for the event.
The procession will adorn much of downtown past prominent monuments, including as the State Capitol building, and stretch from Hillsborough Street to the Raleigh Convention Center and Red Hat Amphitheater. Participants are “super thankful and grateful” for the chance to participate in this year’s parade after overcoming the new rules and safety inspections in the interest of community enjoyment and public safety, as stated by Martin in an interview with CBS17.
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