Chapel Hill, Carrboro ban vehicles from holiday parade

Tammy Grubb
·2 min read

People from all faiths and cultural traditions — or just those with a penchant for the quirky and creative — can sign up now to join Carrboro and Chapel Hill’s first non-vehicular holiday parade.

The 2023 Chapel Hill-Carrboro Community Holiday Parade will be held Dec. 9. Details will be forthcoming, town officials said in a news release.

Organizers decided to prohibit motor vehicles in the parade earlier this year ”for the safety of both participants and spectators,” Carrboro spokeswoman Catherine Lazorko said.

“This decision also demonstrates Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s commitment to environmental sustainability,” she said.

Other towns have also made changes to their parades following the death of an 11-year-old girl who was hit by a driver when he lost control of his truck while pulling a float in Raleigh’s Christmas Parade last year. The town of Zebulon announced earlier this year that its parade will be stationary, allowing people to walk through and view the floats and displays. A planned Veterans Day parade in Raleigh was called off this week when the city told organizers it could not have motorized vehicles; a ceremony at the State Capitol will continue as planned.

Raleigh officials initially denied a permit for the city’s 2023 Christmas Parade, but relented after family and friends of Hailey Brooks, the girl who was killed, said they only wanted to see the city implement more safety measures.

The Nov. 18 parade is being held without vehicles, despite follow-up petitions from The Greater Raleigh Merchants Association and a group called “Citizens of Raleigh” asking the city to reconsider its ban.

Groups and individuals who want to participate in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro parade can apply online through 11:59 p.m. Nov. 12.

Organizers are encouraging participants, whether they walk, bike or scoot, to be decked out in winter and holiday themes and ready to entertain and engage spectators. Parade entries will not be allowed to advertise to spectators, raise money or recruit people, officials said. Political campaigning and electioneering also are prohibited.

In downtown Hillsborough, the “Light Up The Night Hillsborough Holiday Parade, Community Sing and Tree Lighting” begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. Santa and Mrs. Claus greet children at a previous parade.
In downtown Hillsborough, the “Light Up The Night Hillsborough Holiday Parade, Community Sing and Tree Lighting” begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. Santa and Mrs. Claus greet children at a previous parade.

Hillsborough’s Light Up the Night

Hillsborough will hold its annual Light Up the Night Holiday Parade from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 3.

The parade will wind along Churton Street through historic downtown Hillsborough, from Corbin Street to Margaret Lane, where a tree lighting ceremony and community sing will be held at 6 p.m. on the Old Courthouse Square.

This year’s theme is “Gingerbread,” reflecting the Homes For The Holidays gingerbread house displays at local businesses, according to the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the parade.