Cloudy and 40 degrees is the current weather forecast for the start of the Holiday Parade at 10am Saturday. Unlike previous years, the parade will begin in Carrboro at 501 West Weaver Street (near Town Commons) and march east, ending in Chapel Hill at 140 West Franklin Street around noon.
Darien Cropper, the Marketing & Communications Coordinator for Community Arts & Culture at the Town of Chapel Hill has worked on three holiday parades. She says there will be at least 45 groups with 1500 people and some municipal vehicles participating this year. She enjoys the performances during the event and says there will be more this year, including the Triangle Youth Ballet and the Chinese School at Chapel Hill, among others. Also marching: farms (with animals), school theater groups and bands, choirs, Town of Carrboro staff, and others.
Catherine Lazorko, Communication and Engagement Director for the Town of Carrboro, said that Town staff will be marching, handing out candy and information about town festivals, and dancing. They will be walking with a Carrboro-themed bus, newly wrapped with images from Carrboro's festivals. Musicians, performers, El Centro Hispano, and organizers of some of Carrboro's festivals will also be in that group.
Michelle Blume, Recreation Supervisor at the Town of Carrboro Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources Department, said that planning the parade is an "all hands on deck" endeavor. Policy, Fire, and Emergency Management staff from both towns coordinate on safety measures and street closures. She is excited about the parade beginning in Carrboro this year and seeing residents join along Main Street at the start rather than at the end of the event. She hopes more people will come out, noting they can use the free parking at the Drakeford Building deck. She encourages everyone to check out the Farmers' Market before and after the event, citing, specifically, the "fresh, hot doughnuts" as a draw.
Ms. Blume noted the new west-to-east parade route resulted from economic impact considerations. Organizers hope that people at the end of the route will stick around and shop in Chapel Hill after observing this trend in Carrboro previous years. Next year, the parade will start in Chapel Hill and end in Carrboro again and it will reverse (take turns) each year going forward.
There is more information about the event, including road closures and parking availability, on Town's website. See you there!