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 The Salvation Army Cheerleaders bring tons of spirit to the WRAL-TV Raleigh Christmas Parade on Sat, Nov 20th. |
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Slideshows: |
Approximately 50,000 people lined the streets of downtown Raleigh for the 66th annual WRAL-TV Raleigh Christmas Parade on Saturday, November 20, 2010. Marching bands, dancers, characters from Scooby Doo to Cindy Lou Who, and much more floated through the 1.2 mile circuit.
WRAL-TV once again worked hard to bring the event home in high-definition to viewers. For those who were at the parade, the event will be rebroadcast each Saturday in December on WRAL.2 at 8:00am and then a special holiday rebroadcast on WRAL-TV at 4pm on Christmas Day.
Anchors Kelcey Carlson & Bill Leslie commentated from the scaffolding and reporter Brian Shrader sent in live interviews from the street.
:What a show!” said Carlson. “Makes me feel lucky and proud to live here in the Triangle. A great way to show off downtown Raleigh and Fayetteville Street.”
 MIX 101.5 personalities & their family members ride on the WRAL-FM float. |
 A myriad of WRAL-TV personalities wave to the crowd. |
A team of over two dozen technical staffers from WRAL’s engineering and news production, including those on site and back at the station, worked alongside several members of the programming crew to pull the live event together. The 2010 parade marked the 37th consecutive year that WRAL-TV aired and produced the parade.
 Santa Claus is always the perfect grand finale for the parade. |
| See the WRAL.com slideshows & video from the parade here. |
Many WRAL staffers are veterans of the parade broadcast, but WRAL-TV Station Operations Director Jim Rothschild, a new employee since last November, enjoyed his inaugural WRAL parade this year.
“Seeing it for the first time, I am amazed at the strength of our partnership with Greater Raleigh Merchants Association and the special gift it has created for families throughout the community,” said Rothschild. “It’s a great event, and our team of people know how to do it right. With a little help from Mother Nature, it was a picture-perfect production.”
Another first for the 2010 parade? WRAL.com’s Santa Cam. WRAL.com aired live footage of Santa before he entered the parade. WRAL.com’s Kathy Hanrahan got an exclusive interview with the jolly ole elf.
The weather did cooperate beautifully on Saturday with enough of a chill in the air to make it feel like the holidays but not painfully cold.
The 2010 WRAL-TV Raleigh Christmas Parade is sponsored by Crabtree Valley Mall, Time Warner Cable, Nationwide Insurance, Bobby Murray Chevrolet and WakeMed.
 WRAL-TV’s Richard Adkins captures the Safety Patrol with his camera for the live broadcast. |
 The Cary High School Marching Band is dressed in the colors of the season. |
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WRAL Raleigh Christmas Parade
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The Raleigh Police lead the way for the 66th Annual WRAL-TV Raleigh Christmas Parade on Sat, Nov 20th. -
The American flag and North Carolina flag kick off the parade. -
The Raleigh Police follow on horseback. -
What would the parade be without a very animated pooper-scooper guy following the horses? -
The color guard from Broughton High School's ROTC. -
The Broughton High School band will be heading back to the Tournament of Roses Parade in January 2012. -
The Broughton High School band will be heading back to the Tournament of Roses Parade in January 2012. -
The Broughton High School band will be heading back to the Tournament of Roses Parade in January 2012. -
The Carousel Paints and their Cowgirls. -
This clown has trouble pushing his buddies down the parade route. -
Children wait anxiously for Santa to arrive. -
The personalities from WRAL are a big hit with the crowd. -
The WRAL-TV float is filled with news & weather personalities. -
Wool E. Bull gets in to the action following the WRAL float. -
The Bulls gets into the holiday spirit, too. -
The Athens Drive High School Marching Band makes their way down the parade route. -
The Athens Drive High School Marching Band makes their way down the parade route. -
Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker is a fixture in the annual parade. -
Raleigh's Mayor Charles Meeker waves to the crowd of 50,000 lining the downtown streets. -
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and their Light the Night Walk planning team participate in the parade. -
Mary, Joseph & Baby Jesus make an appearance in the parade courtesy of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church. -
Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison greets the crowd. -
The Y Guides & Princesses make their annual appearance in the parade. -
NC Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler rides in the giant grocery cart. -
The MIX 101.5 WRAL-FM float arrives. -
The Leesville Road High School Band twirls snowflakes. -
The Leesville Road High School Band twirls snowflakes. -
The Leesville Road High School Marching Band. -
This Golden Retriever from the American Kennel Club gets up close and personal with the capcom camera person. -
The big doggie is a big hit with the kids. -
NC Governor Bev Perdue (left) chats with WRAL-TV's Brian Shrader for WRAL's live coverage. -
Dancers from the Premier School of Dance put on a show for the crowd. -
This dancer from the Premier School of Dance has the holiday spirit. -
WakeMed makes its way through the route. -
Twinkle from WakeMed anchors their float. -
Mop Top waves to the kids. -
The Mop Top Kids. -
The Grand Marshall float approaches as WRAL-TV's Brian Shrader hops on to interview country music star Jason Michael Carroll. -
Grand Marshall Jason Michael Carroll. -
What would a parade be without a float of princesses? -
Miss North Carolina Adrieene Leigh Core. -
The American Turkish Association of North Carolina. -
The American Turkish Association of North Carolina. -
A crew from Marbles represents the children's museum in the parade. -
The little fellow misses the parade although he's a part of it. -
The Raleigh Amphitheater rocks the crowd. -
The Raleigh Convention Center has a float in the parade. -
The majorette for the Southeast Raleigh High School Marching Band. -
The Southeast Raleigh High School Marching Band. -
These dancers from the Southeast Raleigh High School Marching Band are in the holiday spirit. -
Snoopy's Hot Dogs. -
This motorcycle driver has a hip version of The Grinch's Max on the back of his ride. -
Another festive doggie with his people on their motorcycle. -
The Wake County Public Library's book cart marching team is always a hit. -
The librarians get ready for another marching drill. -
The Wake County Public Library Bookmobile follows the librarians down the street. -
The Enloe High School Marching Band. -
Ladies from the Joel Lane Museum House. -
The Wake Tech Community College Student Government Association suipports their school. -
First Citizens Bank promotes WRAL's Coats for the Children on their float. -
A Christmas Carol actor speaks to the crowd. -
What would a WRAL Raleigh Christmas Parade be without Ebeneezer Scrooge? -
The Salvation Army cheerleaders are definitely filled with spirit. -
The Salvation Army Cheerleaders. -
Sccoby Doo rides on the Time Warner Cable float. -
Shop Local Raleigh represents several local stores in the parade. -
Giant Christmas ornaments float by promoting Shop Local Raleigh. -
Jen Schrage of Prono Pasta multi-tasks, unicycling & pushing her son in stroller, to promote her restaurant. -
Volunteers from Shop Local Raleigh wrangle the only giant balloons in the parade. -
A giant gift rises up in the sky. -
Cindy Loo Who from "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" marches in the parade. -
FOX 50's "Rusty Pail Gang" promotes their new locally produced show that will soon premiere. -
Even the Grinch is full of good wishes for the holiday season. -
It's a boat float! -
Oscar the Grouch is the perfect character to represent Waste Industries. -
The Milbrook High School Marching Band. -
Stormy from the Carolina Hurricanes, along with the Storm Squad. -
The Helping Hand Mission Marching Band gets the crowd on their feet. -
The Helping Hand Mission Marching Band gets the crowd on their feet. -
The Helping Hand Mission Marching Band gets the crowd on their feet. -
The Cary High School Marching Band paves the way for Santa Claus. -
Another great WRAL Raleigh Christmas Parade comes to a close with the man in red himself. -
The star of the parade: Santa Claus.
WRAL Raleigh Christmas Parade – Behind the Scenes
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WRAL-TV's Rodney Martin (left) & former WRAL'er John Martin coordinate the audio set up. -
WRAL-TV's Raymond Farrar makes sure everything is set up for the live broadcast of the WRAL Raleigh Christmas Parade on Sat, Nov 20th. -
WRAL-TV's Al Robinson is bundled up in preparation for taking his camera perch high above the parade. -
WRAL-TV's Stuart Todd gives a friendly wave as he gets his camera position set for the parade start. -
WRAL-TV's Chris Bolanz (left), Director of the parade coverage, and WRAL-TV's Tim King take a break before the live show begins. -
WRAL-TV's Randy Mews (left) & WRAL-TV's Jim Rothschild compare notes before the parade. -
WRAL-TV's Mike Mory (left) & WRAL-TV's Tony Patterson get that last cup of java before the action starts. -
WRAL-TV's Mike Upchurch gets connected. -
The mobile control room is set for the parade. -
WRAL-TV's Pete Sockett takes a final inventory of the mobile WRAL unit. -
Soon this screen will be filled with parade shots. -
WRAL-TV's Phyllis Parish is happy about her annual job of producing WRAL's Raleigh Christmas Parade coverage. -
One of several WRAL live trucks stands by. -
WRAL-TV's Raymond Farrar (left) & WRAL-TV's Charles Braswell get the anchor set a final check. -
WRAL-TV's Greg Clark (left) & WRAL-TV's Richard Adkins set their camera plan before the parade. Both are working the streetside. -
WRAL-TV's Al Robinson is raised into position. -
It's last-minute troubleshooting for WRAL-TV's Pete Sockett (r to l), Tony Patterson, Mike Mory & Charles Braswell. -
WRAL-TV's Kelcey Carlson (left) & WRAL-TV's Bill Leslie are in place and ready to commentate. -
WRAL-TV's Greg Fishel (l to r), WRAL-TV's David Crabtree & WRAL-TV's Renee Chou wish happy holidays to the crowd. -
WRAL-TV's Elizabeth Gardner and her children, Max & Reese, wave to the WRAL Weather fans in the crowd. -
WRAL-TV's Ken Smith gives a big wave to the crowd. -
WRAL-TV's Gerald Owens (r to l), WRAL-TV's Debra Morgan & Tracker, the newsroom dog, ride high on the WRAL float. -
A big holiday hello from Wool E. Bull. -
The art of capturing a parade involves running backwards while not getting tramped by or in the way of the band for WRAL-TV's Richard Adkins & Ivan, his Post 5 sidekick. -
MIX 101.5's Bill Jordan (left) & Lynda Loveland wave to their fans. -
MIX 101.5's Diane Ramsey (left) rides the float alongside WRAL-TV's Randall Kerr (husband of MIX's Lynda Loveland) and children Carys, Campbell & Caiden. -
WRAL-TV's Brian Shrader works as the reporter on the street, interviewing parade participants like NC Governor Bev Perdue, as they make their way down the route. -
WRAL-TV's Richard Adkins is surrounded by the East Wake High School Marching Band. -
WRAL-TV's Richard Adkins captures the crowd with his camera, too. -
Parade Grand Marshall Jason Michael Carroll (left) waves to the crowd after an interview with WRAL-TV's Brian Shrader. -
WRAL-TV's Michelle McNeil works hard wrangling reporter Brian Shrader & keeping the parade moving. -
This Christmas Carol actors steals the parade sign from WRAL-TV's Michelle McNeil (not pictured). -
WRAL-TV's Richard Adkins is mobbed by the Salvation Army cheerleaders when he turns his camera their way. -
WRAL-TV's Richard Adkins captures it all. -
WRAL-TV's Brian Shrader interviews a jump-roper from the Davis Drive Middle School. -
WRAL-TV's Michelle McNeil (l to r), WRAL-TV's Richard Adkins & Post 5's Ivan demonstrate team work. -
WRAL-TV's Brian Shrader interviews everything from period costumed characters to traffic cones. -
WRAL-TV's Richard Adkins captures the grand finale of the parade: Santa Claus.
