Safety Update: We are saddened by the tragic accident that occurred at the Raleigh Christmas Parade in November of 2022. Our hearts will always continue to go out to the little girl’s family, friends, dance studio and our community as a whole. We will continue to take the safety of all parade participants and spectators very seriously. We are following advice and safety protocols put in place by the Town of Cary and the Cary Police Department.
We are implementing the following changes to the parade:
Throwing candy will NOT be allowed. You can hand out candy to spectators but you must walk along the sidewalk to hand it out. This will keep spectators out of the road.
Floats are required to arrive at no later than 12pm.
All drivers should bring a copy of their latest inspection report if they have one.
Cary Police and Fire will initiate a safety briefing and the Jaycees will meet with all drivers the day of.
You may have no more than 16 people on any float (12 if it is a professional float).
Participants walking in the parade will not be placed directly in front of the floats. We will also ensure there are cars placed in between floats and walking participants.
Bring your talents and holiday cheer to the 43rd annual Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade in downtown Cary. The parade is a joyful celebration which includes bands, mascots, local businesses, community groups, and churches.
Details
Date: December 14th, 2024
Time: 2pm - 4pm
Location: The parade starts on E. Chatham Street at Ward St, proceeds down E. Chatham to S. Academy Street, turns left onto S. Academy Street, and ends at Dry Ave in front of the Cary Arts Center. See the map below.
Registration Link: CLOSED
Facebook Event: 2024 Cary Christmas Parade | Facebook
Live stream: WRAL will be live-streaming the parade again!
Participant instructions
If you are participating in the parade, please read these instructions to find out when and where you should meet before the parade. Participants must arrive between 12:30pm and 1:00pm (floats should arrive by 12pm).
Grand Marshal
Mr. Ralph Ashworth
Parade Lineup
Below was the parade line up for this year
1 Cary Police Department
2 Cary Jaycees Banner
3 Cary High School Navy JROTC
4 Grand Marshal - Ralph Ashworth
5 Mayor and Town Council
6 Fire Department
7 Cary High School Alumni Band
8 Ricky's Rickshaws
9 WRAL TV / Capitol Broadcasting Compnay
10 Cary VFW Post 7383 and Auxiliary
11 Triangle Westie Clan
12 Wake 19 Girl Scouts
13 Cary Dance Productions
14 Academy for the Performing Arts
15 Town of Cary Solid Waste Dept
16 Graceful Expressions Dance Education
17 Telamon Parkway Head Start
18 Weekly Wine'd Up Happier Hour MeetUp Group
19 Panther Creek High School Band
20 YMCA Super Skippers
21 Premier School of Dance
22 Dorcas Ministries
23 Sigma Rho Zeta
24 Open Arts
25 Dancers with wings studio
26 Big Air Trampoline Park
27 Mosa Pet Spa Resort & Boutique
28 Cub Scout Pack 208
29 Trader Joe’s
30 GoCary
31 Grime Guardians
32 Green Hope High School
33 Wake County Public School-Green Hope High School's Black Falcons
34 ABC11 Eyewitness News
35 The Alternative Performing Arts
36 Cub Scouts Pack 200
37 Cary High School Football
38 Keller Williams Cary
39 Cardinal Charter Academy
40 East Coast Electric Speed Shop/Oak City MOB Shop
41 Lane and Associates Family Dentistry
42 Cary Lodge A.F. & A.M.
43 Cary High School Baseball Team
44 ATA-NC: American Turkish Association of North Carolina
45 Rock Grading
46 Jackie's Basics And Beyond Dog Training
47 Cary Swim Club
48 Wheels 4 Hope
49 Millpond Dance
50 Apex Skip-Its Jump Rope Team
51 Green Level High School Marching Band
52 L'Academy
53 Y Guides- YMCA of the Triangle
54 Bond Brothers Brewery
55 F3 Carpex
56 Rock Solid Warrior
57 TNT DIVAS DANCE TEAM
58 The Growing Years of Cary
59 Freeway Church
60 Maynor Service Company
61 Farmington Woods IB/PYP Elementary
62 Big Bear Roofing
63 Wake County Speedway/DH Enterprises
64 BLUSH COWORK
65 L.A. Dance
66 Phoenix Assisted Care
67 Cary High Interact Club
68 Durham Bulls Baseball Club
69 Cary Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
71 Bright Horizons at Harrison Park
72 Good Shepherd United Church of Christ
73 College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving
74 Athens Drive High School Marching Band
75 Cary Towing & Recovery
76 School of Rock
77 Ruckus Pizza
78 Season to Season Landscaping
79 Wiley Nickel for North Carolina
80 Cary High School Band
81 Bhakti Yoga of NC
82 Cary Jaycees
83 Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry
84 Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry (Santa)
REGISTER
Registration is CLOSED for 2024
Questions
Contact us at parade@caryjaycees.org
FAQs
How much are Tickets?
Walkers only - $100
Cars/Trucks with Walkers - $200
Floats with Cars/Trucks/Walkers - $250
Professional Float - $750
Where can I park?
There is no designated parking for the parade. Spectators and participants can park in any of the Town of Cary public parking areas. Parking on E. Chatham St and S. Academy St along the parade route will not be permitted.
What roads will be closed for the parade?
Cary Police will be directing traffic and managing road closures for the parade. Traffic on E. Chatham and S. Academy along the parade route will be restricted to parade participants between 12:30pm and 1:00pm. These roads will be closed at 1:00pm.
The following roads will be closed from 1pm - 4pm for the parade:
E. Chatham Street (From S. Academy to the traffic circle by Urban Park)
S. Academy Street (between E. Chatham Street and Dry Ave)
East and West Circle Drive
East Cedar Street (between N. Walker Street and Ward Street)
Ward Street
Hunter Street
Dry Ave (From S. Harrison Ave to S. Academy St.)
Where should participants be dropped off and picked up?
All participants should be dropped off on E. Chatham Street in front of Urban Park between 12:30pm and 1:00pm. The road will be closed at 1:00pm. Band members can be dropped off on E. Chatham Street at Hunter Street.
Anyone riding a float should then walk over to Martin Architectural Products at 511 E Chatham St, Cary, NC 27511.
Participants can be picked up at the parking lot by Cary Elementary behind the Cary Arts Center.
What time do line up for the parade?
Floats should arrive at 12pm. All other parade participants should arrive at their designated meeting area between 12:30pm and 1:00pm. The parade will start at 2pm.
Can food trucks or other vendors setup?
Our permit only covers the actual parade. We are not permitted to have vendors of any kind for this event. Food trucks can register as a participant and drive their truck in the parade for advertising but no sales are allowed.
Can we create a Facebook Event for our group for the parade?
Yes, you can create events on Facebook and other social media platforms for your group but it must be clear that the event is for your group only. There has been confusion in the past with multiple events that all look like the official parade event but have different times for the groups to meet.