WRAL Raleigh Christmas Parade

Don’t miss the excitement of the 2009 WRAL-TV Raleigh Christmas Parade, the largest parade between Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

Approximately 60,000 people will line the streets in downtown Raleigh on Sat., Nov. 21. The parade starts at 9:30 a.m.

WRAL-TV morning news anchors Bill Leslie and Kelcey Carlson will host the parade, with WRAL's morning meteorologist, Elizabeth Gardner serving as street-side reporter. The Greater Raleigh Merchants' Association presents the parade.

In its 64th year, the parade will feature dozens of bands, fantastic floats, super-sized balloons, marchers, twirlers, entertainers and a special surprise North Pole"visitor at the end of the parade! Former Carolina Hurricanes player Glen Wesley serves as grand marshal.

The 1.2-mile parade route starts at Hillsborough and St. Mary’s streets. The parade travels east on Hillsborough Street, turns south at the State Capitol building onto Salisbury Street, then east on Morgan Street and makes its final turn onto Fayetteville Street.

For the 35th year, WRAL will air the parade, starting at 10 a.m. It will be broadcast in high definition and streamed live on WRAL.com.

WRAL.com will have a photographer capturing stills from the 2-hour parade, so check back Saturday afternoon for dozens of photos. Look at slideshows of past parades below.

Each Saturday in December, the station will replay the parade broadcast on WRAL.2 at 8 a.m.: Dec. 5, 12, 19 and 26. WRAL-TV will also present a special holiday rebroadcast at 4 p.m. on Christmas Day.

The parade also will be available on demand at any time from WRAL.com as streaming video.

Relive the parades of the past five years:

2008 Christmas Parade

2007 Christmas Parade

2006 Christmas Parade

2005 Christmas Parade

2004 Christmas Parade

2003 Christmas Parade

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