Safety Update: We are saddened by the tragic accident that occurred at the Raleigh Christmas Parade last year in November of 2022. Our hearts still go out to the little girl’s family, friends, and our community as a whole. We are taking 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 9th, 2023
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.
Facebook Event: Registration for the 2023 Cary Jaycees... - The Cary Jaycees | Facebook
Live stream: WRAL will be live-streaming the parade again!
WRAL Media Sponsorship
We would like to thank WRAL for being the official media sponsor for the 2022 Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade! If you can't make it to the parade in person this year, WRAL will be live-streaming the event on their website at www.wral.com/20621046!
Be sure to say hello to the WRAL team members when you see their float in the parade!
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
We are pleased to announce that the Cary Imp has been named the Grand Marshal for this year’s parade!
Parade Lineup
Below is the parade line up:
1 Cary Police Department
2 Cary Jaycees Banner
3 Cary High School Navy JROTC
4 Grand Marshal - Cary Imp
5 Mayor and Town Council
6 Fire Department
7 Cary High School Alumni Band
8 WRAL-TV
9 Ricky's Rickshaws
10 Cub Scout Pack 152
11 Veterans of Foreign War and its Auxiliary
12 Cary Dance Productions
13 Wake 19 Girl Scouts
14 Academy for the Performing Arts
15 ATA-NC (American Turkish Association of North Carolina)
16 Cary Christian School
17 Premier School of Dance
18 Mosa pet spa resort and boutique
19 Telamon Corporation
20 Sigma Rho Zeta
21 Cary Solid Waste Division
22 Dorcas Ministries
23 Panther Creek High School Band
24 Dancers with wings studio
25 Cary High Baseball
26 Brandon Garcia State Farm Agency
27 Cary High School Interact Club
28 Open Arts
29 Trader Joe's
30 YMCA of the Triangle (Y Guides)
31 Good Shepherd United Church of Christ
32 Graceful Expressions Dance Education
33 Further Towing & Recovery
34 Weekly Wine'd Up Happier Hour Social MeetUp Group
35 Green Hope HS Band
36 Keller Williams Cary
37 The Alternative Performing Arts
38 Cary High School Football Team
39 Autism Awareness
40 Cub Scout Pack 208
41 Cardinal Charter Academy
42 Wake County Speedway
43 Pura Vida Studio
44 L.A. Dance
45 The Little Gym of Raleigh-Cary
45-1 Fire Truck
46 Big Air Trampoline Park
47 YMCA of the Triangle (YMCA Super Skippers)
48 Pack 200
49 ABC11 Eyewitness News
50 SECU
51 Scott Lassiter Wake County Elected Soil & Water Supervisor
52 Green Level High School Marching Band
52-2 Green Level High School Marching Band
53 J & D Tree Pros, Inc
54 Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.
55 School of Rock Cary
56 Millpond Dance
57 Bond Brothers Beer Company
58 Apex Skip-Its
59 Cary Pop Warner Football & Cheerleading
60 Axes and Ales Party Tours
61 Rock Grading
62 Class 101 College Planning
63 Wiley Nickel for Congress
64 Chesterbrook Academy Elementary and Middle School
65 Freeway Church
66 Athens Drive High School
67 Mark Robinson for Governor
68 Backwoods Junk Removal
69 Meals on Wheels Wake County
70 Stampede of Love
71 Miracle Movers
72 Phoniex Assisted Care
73 Michael & Son Services
74 Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry
75 Kosterman Chiropractic
76 Team Casarez Jiu Jitsu
77 Thales Academy Cary Parents and Teachers Together
78 F3 Carpex
79 East Cary Kindercare
80 Triangle Tile and Stone
81 Versatile Services & Solutions
81-2 Save Soil Movement
82 Wheels4hope
83 Pride of Cary
84 Cary High School Women's Varsity and JV Basketball Teams
85 Cary High School Band
86 Bhakti Yoga of NC
87 Cary Jaycees
88 Ashworth's Drugs and Lynn's Hallmark Shops (Santa)
REGISTER
Registration is open:
2023 Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade Tickets, Sat, Dec 9, 2023 at 2:00 PM | Eventbrite
Questions
Contact us at parade@caryjaycees.org
FAQs
How much are Tickets?
Walkers only - $100
Cars/Trucks with Walkers - $150
Floats with Cars/Trucks/Walkers - $200
Professional Float - $750
What safety measures are being taken for Covid-19?
We will be following the latest guidelines from the CDC, North Carolina, and the Town of Cary.
Since it is an outdoor event, masks are not required. However, we strongly encourage participants to wear masks, at least in the line up area before the parade starts. There will be a large number of people in that area and social distancing may be difficult.
For more information, please see the Town of Cary’s COVID-19 FAQ page.
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.