82nd Annual Raleigh Christmas Parade

The Raleigh Christmas Parade returns to Downtown Raleigh on Saturday, November 21, from 9:30 AM to 12 PM. It's one of the city's oldest traditions, and if you've lived here a while, you've probably heard the stories about it. The first procession was back in 1939, when it drew about 30,000 people and reportedly caused the worst traffic jam the city had ever seen. By the 1960s, the crowds had grown to 150,000, and the parade moved permanently to the Saturday before Thanksgiving in 1971. The Greater Raleigh Merchants Association has presented it since 1944.

It's billed as the largest parade of its kind between Atlanta and Washington, D.C., drawing around 60,000 spectators along the route and reaching more than 250,000 more through television and live streaming. The morning fills downtown with marching bands, dancers, giant balloons, superheroes, and local performers, with Santa closing out the procession. It's the kind of event that brings a huge slice of the city out into the streets at once.

The route covers about 1.4 miles. It starts on Hillsborough Street at St. Mary's Street, proceeds to the State Capitol, turns right onto Salisbury Street, left onto Morgan Street, right onto Fayetteville Street, and continues to Lenoir Street. If you're planning to watch, that's a good stretch to keep in mind—you can pick a spot early and stay put, or move along as the parade passes. It's free to watch, and it runs from 9:30 AM to 12 PM on Saturday, November 21.