76th annual Thanksgiving Parade set to return, will be held Wednesday night

CHARLOTTE — The Novant Health Thanksgiving Parade will return to light up the night on Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte this year.

According to organizers, the 2021 Thanksgiving Eve Parade was a huge success, with 100,000 people lining Tryon Street to take in the night’s festivities, so the 2022 parade will continue this tradition.

The parade will step off on Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 23 at 5:30 p.m.

The parade will feature local, regional, and national performers as well as floats, larger-than-life balloons, marching bands and dance units.

“This is a wonderful time to celebrate the holidays in Charlotte and we look forward to making new memories for our attendees,” said parade producer Robert Krumbine in a news release. “Celebrating an event for 76 years is not something to take lightly. The Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade has made Charlotte a destination for the Carolinas to come together and kick off the holiday season for years to come.”

Olivia Reardon, representing the Olivia Strong Foundation, will serve as this year’s Grand Marshal. Reardon’s battle with pediatric cancer inspired her family to create and fund the foundation, which recently gifted $500,000 to Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital.

The parade is free, and spectators are encouraged to find a viewing spot on Tryon Street between 9th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Reserved seating is available for $35 and can be purchased online here.

Anyone interested in volunteering as a costumed cast member or parade marshal, can sign up on the event website at novanthealththanksgivingparade.com.

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Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: What you need to know The parade route stretches about 2.5 miles, ending in front of Macy's flagship store at Herald Square. (NCD)

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