The Raleigh Christmas Parade is a tradition spanning 80 years and counting! Originally a night tradition on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the parade has been a vital part of local shops’ business for decades. The parade’s original purpose in the 1930’s was to encourage local shopping and support. This allows the city to come together to celebrate Christmas as a community and kick off the holiday season.
The first Raleigh Christmas Parade was held on November 25, 1939, gathering over 30,000 people to celebrate together. This parade caused the worst traffic jam in Raleigh’s history!
After the 2022 Raleigh Christmas Parade tragedy, vehicles were on a year break. The return of vehicles in 2024 was not left unnoticed, with engines roaring loud enough for everyone to hear.
The parade started off showcasing law enforcement and two sports cars. They were followed by military personnel and the Raleigh Police Department Student Safety Patrol. Also followed by multiple animals including horses and dogs, smiles were brought to the crowd’s faces.
A large piece of this parade includes local high schools showing off their marching band, color guard, and JROTC.
A Millbrook High School Senior, Alex Hernandez, has been a part of the Raleigh Christmas Parade since 2021 when he was a freshman at Millbrook. He’s a part of the JROTC program, which has performed at the parade all 4 years.
When asked what he would miss most about the parade, Hernandez said, “I will miss marching with my cadets at the parade”. He’s gathered a lot of fond memories saying, “I received my first medal after I attended the parade.”
Another senior at Millbrook, Julia Jenkins, has been a part of the parade for two years, as a member in Millbrook’s color guard. Jenkins said when walking down the parade path she enjoys, “seeing the kids’ faces as we walk by and do something cool.”
Jenkins has shared many fond memories with other members of the color guard and will miss “hearing spectators cheer when guard does a cool toss”, which is something that has encouraged her to continue color guard.
