CHAPEL HILL – Santa makes his way down Franklin Street Saturday morning for the annual Chapel Hill-Carrboro Holiday Parade.

“The parade will be starting just past the Morehead Planetarium on Franklin Street,” says the parade’s organizer—a member of the Raleigh Jaycees who are putting on the parade—Cindy Honickman. “It will be going down to Town Hall in Carrboro with our Main Stage, which is going to be operated by the People’s Channel—they’ll be broadcasting the parade. That main (stage) will be at 140 Franklin Street at the new building.”

Ten thousand-plus people are expected to be in attendance—rain or shine. Honickman says preparations for the event started half way through the year.

“I think we actually started back in June with working on setting the date for the parade,” Honickman says. “So, things have been in motion for six months now, and the time commitment gets (greater and greater) as we get even closer to the parade.”

Franklin Street will be closed beginning at 8:00 a.m. from Hillsborough Street all the way to Main Street at Carrboro Town Commons. The parade itself begins at 10:00 a.m. and will end between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon with something for everyone to see.

“We have over 83 different entries in the parade,” Honickman says. “We have four local bands, two high school bands, two middle school bands, tons of community groups and non-profits.”

And Honickman says it’s not just all floats.

“We have the famous Chapel Hill Bouncing Bulldogs,” Honickman says. “I’m sure they’re holding national titles and traveling all over the place. (We also have a) Paws4Ever Puppy Drill Team, which…you have to see it; it’s going to be cute; I’m very much looking forward to it. And (we have) a new entry this year: the Chapel Hill French Car Club. So, really unique things that you might not have thought would be in the parade.”

And, of course, Santa Claus will cap off the parade in the final float.

So, spread out along Franklin and Main streets for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Holiday Parade Saturday morning beginning at 10:00 a.m.

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