Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade

The Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade returns to Uptown Charlotte on Wednesday, November 25, 2026. It's a night parade that runs along Tryon Street, stepping off at 5:30 PM and airing live on WCCB at 6:00 PM. The route stretches from 9th Street to Good Samaritan Way—about a mile in total—and it goes rain or shine, so don't let a little November weather keep you inside.

This is a Charlotte tradition with around seven decades of history behind it. Over those years, it's grown into the fourth largest parade of its kind in the country and the biggest in the Southeast. To give you a sense of the scale, the 2023 edition drew 100,000 live spectators and about a million household viewers via the broadcast. It's billed as the region's official start to the holiday season, and that's a fair description—it's one of those events that marks the shift into the end-of-year stretch.

Along the route, local Tryon Street vendors set up to sell food and hot and cold beverages, so you can grab a drink and a snack while you watch. The parade itself is a community effort: volunteers take on roles like balloon handlers and costume walkers to keep things moving. If you'd rather not stand for the whole thing, VIP reserved seats run between East Brooklyn Village Ave and M.L.K. Jr. Blvd.

Getting there is straightforward. Three light rail stations serve the course: 7th Street near the Market at 7th Street, CTC/Arena in the middle, and 3rd St./Convention Center at the end. If you're driving, Uptown Charlotte has roughly 50,000 parking spaces across on-street spots and privately managed decks and lots. The event is free, and spectators bring their own chairs, though you can purchase VIP seating if you want a guaranteed spot. The parade steps off at 5:30 PM, with the live broadcast starting at 6:00 PM.