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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 draws over 110,000 people as spectators each year. In 2009, the television broadcast of the parade was seen by approximately 230,000 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 October 2008, TravelMuse.com named the Carolinas' Thanksgiving Day Parade as the fourth largest Thanksgiving parade in the United States.
The 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 addition, it
promotes academic and artistic excellence through awards to outstanding area high school
students and marching bands. The 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.
Want to get more involved?
Parade participation
Sponsorship opportunities
Volunteer
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. |
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