Downtown Raleigh Buzzing With Weekend Events

With festivals and a parade honoring the armed forces, the downtown area will be packed this weekend.

Posted 9:32 p.m. Apr 25, 2008 — Updated 12:31 p.m. Apr 26, 2008

RALEIGH, N.C. — With festivals and a parade honoring the armed forces, the downtown area will be packed this weekend.

The World Beer Festival begins in Moore Square at noon on Saturday. The Salute to Our Troops parade starts that morning at 10 a.m. on Fayetteville Street. It will step off with a flyover by F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro.

Businesses downtown welcome the high-volume traffic.

“We see a good increase in sales. We see a lot of new faces in here,” said café owner Timothy Roy.

In addition to festivities, people will have to contend with construction. This weekend workers will be putting the topper on the RBC building, which will make it the tallest building in the city.

Early voting also will be under way at the Wake County Board of Elections office located at 337 S. Salisbury St.

To navigate street closures for the parade, police are advising people who want to vote and not attend the parade to travel north on McDowell Street to Martin Street. Police suggest displaying a sign that says “voting” to an officer on duty at the intersection of McDowell and Martin streets.

Only vehicles occupied by people coming to vote will be allowed to turn right on Martin Street. They will be allowed to enter the Wake County parking deck between McDowell and Salisbury streets. They will be allowed to park there while they are voting.

After voting, drivers will be directed out of the deck and back to McDowell Street.

You can watch the Salute to Our Troops parade LIVE on WRAL.com at 10 a.m. and in its entirety on WRAL-TV at noon.

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