Cary Christmas Parade delivers holiday cheer
The 2023 Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade held Saturday in downtown Cary was met with cheers and excitement. You can watch the entire Cary parade and the Durham parade online.
WRAL is a proud community partner of the parade, which opened with a special float featuring WRAL anchor Debra Morgan, WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell, WRAL anchor Renee Chou and Chou's daughter, Elsa, among others.
The parade, now in its 44th year, started at the corner of Ward and East Chatham Street, taking a left on South Academy Street ending at Cary Arts Center near the new Downtown Cary Park. Hundreds of spectators gathered beside the street.
The grand marshal for the parade this year was the Cary Imp from Cary High School.
More than 85 groups registered to be in the parade, including school bands, dance studios, civic and service organizations, community groups, churches, local businesses, elected officials and many more.
Before the parade, an announcer urged the crowd multiple times to not let children behind the barriers.
The Raleigh Christmas Parade, held back in November, went without motorized floats or vehicles this year after a dancer, 11-year-old Hailey Brooks, was killed by an out-of-control truck on the parade route in 2022.
There were several other parades held Saturday in Durham, Fayetteville, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Holly Springs and Knightdale.
The Durham and Cary parades, among others, kept vehicles in the parade but with some changes in place. At the Cary parade:
- Throwing candy was not allowed (because it encourages kids to run out into the street). Participants can hand out candy to spectators instead
- All drivers should bring a copy of their latest inspection report if they have one
- The Jaycees will meet with all drivers the day of to initiate a safety briefing
- There can be no more than 16 people on any float (12 if it is a professional float)
- Participants walking in the parade will not be placed directly in front of the floats
- Cars will be between floats and walking participants
The weather was perfect for all the parades, with temperatures in the 60s for the Durham Holiday Parade at 10 a.m. and highs nearing 70 degrees when the Cary parade ended at 4 p.m.
Sunday is a WRAL Weather Alert Day due to a threat for damaging winds, flooding, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes. Wool E. Bull's Winter Wonderland and Pittsboro's Christmas parade were both canceled for Sunday.
