The history of the event began in 1947, when local businessmen organized a parade to attract shoppers to Charlotte Center City, also known as Uptown. The parade was a success, so it was decided to hold it every year. What began as a modest local holiday parade has since grown into one of the biggest events of its kind.
In 1950, the parade moved to Thanksgiving. In 1967, Carolina’s Carrousel, Inc. launched a scholarship program for high school students to recognize those with community involvement and outstanding academic achievements.
Originally known as the Carolinas’ Carrousel Parade, the event was renamed to the Carolinas’ Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2008. That same year, it was moved from the afternoon to 10 am in the morning in order to attract a larger television viewing audience. The event was given its current name, the Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade, in 2013 when the Novant Health network became its title sponsor.
The event is the fourth-largest Thanksgiving parade in the United States, with approximately 100,000 attendees on-site and over 180,000 television viewers. In 2012, it was included on the U.S. News & World Report’s list of America’s Best Thanksgiving Day Parades.
The parade travels through Uptown Charlotte along Tryon Street. It features spectacular floats, giant balloons, speciality vehicles, marching bands from across the country, performers, cheerleading squads, community organizations, sports organizations, and pop culture characters. It features less balloons than other parades because of Charlotte’s narrow streets with plenty of lamppost, but it still is pretty spectacular. The parade is broadcast regionally and airs again on Christmas Day.
The Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade even has its own mobile app available on the App Store and Google Play. Guests can use it to learn about bands, performers and floats; to see maps of the parade route; and to interact with social media.
Photo by Mike Rumph
