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WRAL Raleigh Christmas Parade a Holiday Delight |
Approximately 20 bands march down the streets of Raleigh in the Christmas Parade. |
A bevy of horses clip clop down the main drag. |
With a perfect nip in the air, the WRAL-TV Raleigh Christmas Parade hit the downtown streets for the 63rd time on Saturday, November 17, 2007. About 20 bands and 40 floats paraded down Hillsborough and Fayetteville Streets, entertaining a crowd of 60,000.
The largest parade between New York and Atlanta, the Raleigh parade featured clowns, Christmas carolers, antique cars, motorcycle riders, jump ropers and much more. Santa Claus brought up the rear of the procession, tailed by the Broughton High School Band.
Those along the parade route might have thought they were seeing double. The Broughton group also marched close to the opening of the parade. The band used the duo of trips through the 1.2 mile route as a warm-up for the Tournament of Roses Parade they will march in Pasadena, CA on New Year’s Day. That route will be six miles long, so the group even marched from Broughton to the parade start, to get their numb feet going.
MIX 101.5’s Morning Co-Hosts Bill Jordan (left) & Sheri Logan wave to fans from atop their perch on the WRAL-FM float. |
The Broughton High School Band uses the parade as a warm-up for the Tournament of Roses parade they’ll march on New Year’s Day. |
Cast members from “A Christmas Carol” wave happily to the cheering crowd. |
Want to See More? View the slideshow from the WRAL Raleigh Christmas Parade.
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Local mascots like Stormy from the Carolina Hurricanes showed off their antics. Ron the Ref followed the hog in the Canes van, constantly blowing the horn as Stormy showed off his best supermodel poses on the pavement. Durham Bulls mascot Wool E. Bull, the Carolina Mudcats mascot Muddy, and the Time Warner Cable Looney Tunes gang delighted children and adults alike, among others.
WRAL-TV broadcast the parade live and will re-air the 2-hour event over the next month on the WRAL NewsChannel. And WRAL will air a special holiday presentation on WRAL-TV/WRAL-DT on Christmas Day at 4pm.
WRAL-TV Photographer Pete James captures the flag line on camera for the viewers at home. |
This little twirler keeps step as she makes her way down the parade route. |
Mark Roberts comes back for a guest appearance, interviewing his beloved Student Safety Patrol as they march. |
On WRAL.com
See the streaming video of the parade online, view WRAL.com’s photo gallery, see video from WRAL’s news stories and relive the parades of 2005 & 2006 on WRAL.com’s parade story.
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WRAL-TV Raleigh Christmas Parade
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WRAL-TV crew member Stuart Todd gets ready to capture the approximately 20 bands and 40 floats on camera.
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WRAL-TV's Phyllis Parish (right) serves as executive producer of WRAL's parade coverage, while WRAL-TV's Pete Sockett handles the technical side of things as Chief Engineer.
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The team manning two of WRAL's 8 HD cameras gets their equipment set up to bring the parade to the homes of Triangle viewers.
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WRAL-TV Morning Anchors Lynda Loveland (left) & Bill Leslie don their warmest coats to commentate the action for WRAL's live broadcast.
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Downtown Raleigh's Fayetteville Street is the finale strip of the WRAL Raleigh Christmas Parade.
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WRAL Personality Mark Roberts catches Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker as he rides along the parade route.
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Fathers & daughters march together with the YMCA Guides & Princesses.
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WRAL-TV's own Debbie Strange (left) marches with her sailor "husband" from A Christmas Carol. She will be appearing in the annual holiday theatre tradition for the first time this December.
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A Christmas Carol characters wave happily to the crowd, as Scrooge scrowls telling everyone to go home.
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MIX 101.5 Personalities Bill Jordan (l to r), Sheri Logan & Vanna Fox sail through the route on the WRAL-FM float.
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"Here's lookin' at you." Wool E. Bull is full of animation.
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The Wrenn Town Crier waves to the crowd.
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Connie Cone spreads holiday cheer with the Raleigh Safety Patrol.
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WRAL's Mark Roberts is a big hit among the kids of the Raleigh City Schools' Student Safety Patrol.
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WRAL crew members capture the action as the WRAL-TV float nears the end of the parade route.
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WRAL-TV's David Crabtree (left) & Greg Fishel greet fans along the parade route.
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WRAL-TV Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner enjoys riding the WRAL float with her young daughter, Reese.
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WRAL-TV Anchors Cullen Browder (left) & Jeff Gravley ride the WRAL float with their children.
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Street-side reporter Mark Roberts mugs for a fan and her digital camera.
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WRAL-TV Photographer Pete James captures the action from both sides of the parade.
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Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison salutes the crowd.
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The excitement of the parade is evident on little faces.
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No cold weather event would be complete without Stormy, the mascot for the Triangle's very own hockey team, the Carolina Hurricanes.
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Raleigh seems to step back in time with a variety of antique autos driving down the parade route.
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These ladies represent the beauty of the Orient as they ride in traditional Chinese costumes with lotus flowers.
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Families brave the cold morning to see the annual holiday tradition.
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Mr. Snoopy is a hit as he advertises some of the best hot dogs in town.
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An estimated crowd of 60,000 lined the streets of downtown Raleigh for the 63rd annual Christmas Parade.
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Every little girl's dream...the princesses make their way by the adoring crowd.
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The Green Hope High School Falcons Marching Band brings the sounds of Christmas alive.
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Leading the band. The drum major for the Green Hope High School Falcons keeps her troups in line.
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What would a parade be without clowns?
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The Ten Tenors ride the float for the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, before their evening performance.
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Librarians from Wake County strut their stuff with the Book Cart Drill Team.
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The mummers of the Durning String Band are a huge hit in their festive attire.
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These All-Star cheerleaders rev up the crowd with their high energy routine.
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This little cheerleader is tiring out near the end of the 1.2 mile parade route.
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WRAL-TV crew member Al Robinson hangs above the parade getting aerial shots as Anchors Bill Leslie & Lynda Loveland commentate the action.
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Horse & carriage take parade go'ers even further back in time.
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The lone balloon in the parade, a giant whale, makes its way down Fayetteville Street.
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Volunteers work hard to keep the giant Orca afloat.
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Move over Santa. Darth Vader is coming through.
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The little ones don't mind the morning chill as they await Santa's arrival.
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Sword fighters from the Renaissance Festival battle it out.
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The temperatures are chilly, but these dancers stay warm with energetic moves.
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Carollers from the Oakwood Waits sing a happy tune.
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Scores of motorcycles roar by as their riders deck themselves and their bikes for the season.
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High stepping is nothing for the enthusiastic team from The Helping Hand Mission Marching Band.
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Jump ropers from Davis Drive Middle School keep things hopping.
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The Geiko Gecko and Caveman make an appearance at the parade, ready to help in case of a car accident.
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Vibrant Christmas colors whip in the wind as the Cary High School Marching Band parades by.
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This percussionist is full of focus as she marches with the Cary High School Band.
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WRAL-TV News Photographer Richard Adkins closes in to get a tight shot of the star of the parade, Santa Claus.
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The wait is over. Santa Claus waves to all the good little girls & boys in the crowd.
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Post 5 officer Carey Rudolph plays an important role in WRAL's television coverage of the parade, signalling the bands to play.
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The Broughton High School Marching Band went through the parade route twice...at the beginning and at the end, to prepare for their tour in the Tournament of Roses parade on New Year's Day.
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The Broughton band comes to the end of a long day of marching.
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The wonder of the holidays comes alive for the children along the parade route.
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The Broughton High Marching Band drum corps keeps a steady beat along wtih crashing cymbals.
