WRAL's live coverage begins at 10 a.m. when floats, clowns, twirlers, dancers and North Carolina's finest marching bands take to the streets.
WRAL Morning anchors Bill Leslie and Lynda Loveland along with Trafficologist Mark Roberts host the festivities.
Raleigh's own Justin Gatlin, the "world's fastest man" and 100-meter Olympic gold medallist, serves as this year's Grand Marshal. He will greet approximately 60,000 people expected to line the streets, and over 200,000 expected to watch the live coverage on WRAL-TV and the high-definition broadcast on WRAL-DT.
Special guests Michael O'Leary (Dr. Rick Bauer, The Guiding Light) and his wife, former Miss North Carolina Joni Parker will also make a special appearance during the broadcast.
The 1.5-mile parade begins at the corner of Hillsborough and St. Mary's streets, travels east on Hillsborough Street, turns south at the Capitol on Salisbury Street and ends at the Raleigh Convention and Conference Center.
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