HISTORY & MISSION
The Carolinas' Carrousel Parade has evolved over more than six decades as a regional tradition and highlight of the holiday season. Founded in 1947 by four local businessmen to attract holiday shoppers to downtown Charlotte, the Thanksgiving week events have become so much more. The Parade and its ancillary events are produced by an independent, volunteer, non-profit, charitable organization, Carolinas' Carrousel, Inc.
The parade has grown in size and diversity and it is the largest annual gathering of Carolinians, drawing close to 100,000 spectators each year. In 2012, the television broadcast of the parade was seen by approximately 100,000 people. Over 120 units participated in the parade, including area marching bands, floats sponsored by local organizations and corporations, step and drill teams, entertainers and other specialty units. In November 2012, US News & World Report included the Carrousel Parade on its list of America's Best Thanksgiving Day Parade.
In 1967, Carolinas’ Carrousel, Inc. instituted the Carrousel Scholarship Program. The program awards college scholarships to outstanding students in recognition of academic achievement and community involvement. When the program began, the top scholarship went to the high school senior girl selected as the Carrousel Queen. In 2011, the title was changed to the Carrousel Scholar to better reflect that the program acknowledges achievement and is not a beauty pageant. Scholarships are also given to outstanding marching band students.
Carolinas' Carrousel, Inc. is committed to enhancing the regional area's community life through quality family-oriented entertainment. The organization’s events officially announce and celebrate the beginning of the holiday season in this region. In addition, it promotes academic and artistic excellence through awards to outstanding area high school students and marching bands. Carolinas' Carrousel, Inc. also exists to offer business, industry and the local citizenry the opportunity to participate in showcasing the region and to encourage excellence in the future leaders of the area.
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Some Historic Parade Milestones:
|
1947 |
First "Charlotte Christmas Festival" was
held in early November. Among key founders were John Belk and George
Ivey. That year's twilight parade drew a crowd of 125,000. |
|
1950 |
Name changed to Carolinas' Carrousel.
500,000 people watch popular cowboy star, Hopalong Cassidy lead the
parade. |
|
1952 |
Date changed to Thanksgiving Day so
schoolchildren and workers could attend. |
|
1954 |
First daylight parade. |
|
1957 |
Santa's float breaks down, leaving Santa
behind. |
|
1961 |
Wettest Carrousel on record. |
|
1967 |
Scholarship awards program was started. |
|
1968 |
Twenty-seven (27) minutes of the parade
were nationally broadcast on CBS.
North to South route is adopted to take advantage of sunlight for
television. |
|
1981 |
Marching Band competition was added to
the Parade format. |
|
1982 |
Scholarship awards increased in
Representatives Division. |
|
1998 |
Scholarship
awards increased
in Representatives Division.
Marching Band Scholarship awards
added to the program. |
|
2000 |
Robert L. Maddox Music Scholarship established ($2,000). |
|
2007 |
Parade celebrated its 60th anniversary. Charlotte-based
retailer Belk became the parade’s presenting sponsor and also
brought the scholarship fund under the auspices of the Belk
Foundation. |
|
2008 |
For the first
time, the Carolinas' Thanksgiving Day Parade started at 10 a.m.
rather than in the afternoon. The earlier start time attracted a
much larger television viewing audience than in past years and was
deemed a huge success. Also in 2008, TravelMuse.com named the
Carolinas' Thanksgiving Day Parade as the fourth largest
Thanksgiving Parade in the United States. Scholarship program is
renamed the Belk Carrousel Scholarship Fund. |
|
2009 |
A huge balloon was
included in the parade for the first time in many years. This giant
turkey was designed to deflate a bit when it needed to maneuver
under and around the traffic lights along Tryon Street.
Unfortunately, our turkey had to nearly collapse to clear the lights
at the Square on Trade & Tryon and TV viewers saw a bird bent over
with his beak almost on the ground. |
|
2010 |
Belk signed on as
the parade's title sponsor and the parade was named the Belk
Carolinas' Carrousel Parade. A new Belk float was built to showcase
Belkie Bear and Santa Claus. The parade route changed to end at the
Levine Center for the Performing Arts on South Tryon Street. WBTV's
cameras, the Band Judges' Reviewing Stand and the VIP Seating Area
were moved to that area as well. |
|
2011 |
The cast of “Million Dollar Quartet,” a touring Broadway show, appeared on a float in the parade and performed a musical number for the parade spectators and TV audience. |
|
2012 |
To help celebrate the 65th Anniversary of the Carrousel Parade, many past Carrousel Queens appeared on a parade float. US News & World Report included the Carrousel Parade on its list of America's Best Thanksgiving Day Parades. |