Santa welcomed by firetruck and sirens at Durham Holiday Parade: 5+ parades to check out today
The Durham Holiday Parade is one of many happening Saturday in the Triangle, and you can watch from the comfort of your couch.
How to watch the Durham Holiday Parade
WRAL's live coverage of the Durham Holiday Parade wrapped up at 12 p.m. on WRAL-TV. The parade is presented by WellCare, and WRAL is a proud community partner.
The parade began at 10 a.m. on Main Street in downtown Durham with over 100 participants, including local marching bands, drill teams, non-profits, local businesses, athletic leagues, elected officials and Santa Claus.
WRAL anchors Ken Smith and Keely Arthur hosted the live broadcast, and WRAL reporters and anchors Jeff Hogan, Sarah Krueger, Gerald Owens and Aaron Thomas were in the parade.
Brian Shrader was able to interview Santa Claus, who was escorted in at the very end of the parade by a firetruck and sirens.
"It is very cold," Santa said when WRAL News asked him what the weather was like at the North Pole. In Durham, it was a balmy 60 degrees during the majority of the parade.
Santa said he would return home tonight to make sure the elves are getting ready for Christmas. It's a busy time of year, after all!
On Saturday newly-elected Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams served as the parade's grand marshal.
"Being in this parade means I am a part of our community coming together," he told WRAL News. "That's a new trend I look forward to setting, bringing the community together in such a positive light. Today we get to make that a reality."
Williams said, among his priorities as a new mayor, he wants to bring people together in a positive way, keep kids safe and entertained and work to improve mass transit, public safety and inclusive growth.
Some participants in the parade included the Northern High School band program, Bull City Slingerz, Durham County Sheriff's Office, Central Park School for Children, Respuesta Rápida, Durham Parks and Recreation, Central High School marching band, Empower Dance Studio, Durham Parks Foundation, Sandy Ridge Elemetary School's drumline, the Boys and Girls Club and more.
Safety measures in place
Unlike the Raleigh Christmas Parade, the Durham Holiday Parade and others this weekend will feature floats and vehicles.
The following safety measures will be in place for the Durham Holiday Parade:
- Participants walking in the parade will not be placed directly in front of floats in parade lineup. Vehicle groups will be placed in front of all floats in the line-up.
- All city vehicles participating in the parade, including those pulling floats, were recently inspected.
- Police have confirmed registration, inspection and insurance policy checks on all of the vehicles in the parade.
Christmas parades in NC this weekend
There are several other parades on Saturday, in Cary, Fayetteville, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Holly Springs and Knightdale. Here's a full list:
Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade - This annual parade starts at 2 p.m. in downtown Cary. WRAL is a proud community partner and will have a float in the parade. Coverage begins on WRAL.com at 2 p.m.
Fayetteville Christmas Parade - Gilbert Baez, Anthony Baglione and the WRAL Storm Tracker will be in the parade, which begins at 10 a.m.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Community Holiday Parade - The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Chapel Hill's 140 West Plaza and end at Carrboro Town Hall.
Clayton Christmas Parade - The parade begins at 3 p.m. in downtown Clayton.
Happy Holly Days Christmas Parade - The Happy Holly Days Parade is held the second Saturday of December. Floats, bands, dancers, decorated vehicles, marching groups and all sorts of entertaining entries travel Main Street through downtown.
Knightdale Christmas Parade and Holiday Market - The Christmas parade begins at 10 a.m. Oak City Brewing will have a holiday market from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with live music by Sterling Scott.
Due to inclement weather, parades in Tarboro and Pittsboro scheduled for Sunday have been canceled or rescheduled.
Watch the Cary Christmas Parade
The Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade begins at 2 p.m. Saturday in downtown Cary. The parade will be livestreamed on WRAL.com.
