2013 Shop Local Raleigh Christmas Parade entry!!!

2013 Shop Local Raleigh Christmas Parade entry!!!

We invite you to promote your local business and be a part of the SLR entry in the 2013 WRAL Raleigh Christmas Parade presented by Shop Local Raleigh/GRMA!

The Raleigh Christmas Parade is televised live on WRAL-TV & UNC-TV with approximately 250,000 viewers and more than 65,000 people come to the streets of downtown Raleigh to see it firsthand. It’s the largest parade between Atlanta and D.C. – a great way to give your business exposure…and the best part? At NO cost to you!

Shop Local Raleigh is going to provide each interested member one grocery cart for you to use as your template to enhance, decorate and design to represent your brand in the parade. Here are some parade photos from last year to give you an idea of just how creative you can be:

This year we are also planning on having a float included with our entry to exhibit the message of buying local to parade viewers as well!!
Day of the parade info:
Nov. 23rd – All participants to arrive downtown at the Raleigh Christmas Parade. Meet at Hillsborough Street and St. Mary’s Street at 8:30am. The parade begins at 9:40.

There is NO parade entry fee to SLR members that participate with the SLR entry! To sign up your business to participate, please email us ASAP so that we can reserve your shopping cart. 

Annual Holiday Shopping Guide

The weather is changing and temperatures are dropping and that means it’s time for our annual, virtual, holiday shopping guide. For the fourth year in a row, we want to focus on showing consumers that it’s easier than they think to do their holiday shopping at locally owned businesses. We’re putting together our 4th guide with listings, gift ideas, and tips on buying locally.  We will have a page on our website dedicated to holiday shopping and will update the page with specials, sales, and other info throughout the holiday season.
What we need from you is to answer some of the below and send us a JPEG (photo) of your best items so that we can share these on our social media channels and website:

• What items do you sell that are exclusive to your store that would make a great gift?
• What items do you sell that people might not know about?
• What are some hot items in the market that consumers would buy online or big box, but you actually sell them in your store?

Please provide pictures of any items or gift ideas that you would like shared in JPEG format.
We will begin to compile the database and start posting as the holiday nears. Feel free to send in items all the way up until the week before Dec. 25th so we can update the online photo album weekly:info@shoplocalraleigh.org

Help us help you in Spreading the Local Love!

Grandstand Seating, Members only section at the Parade!!

At no cost to you, GRMA/SLR is once again providing Grand Stand seating area for all GRMA and Shop Local Raleigh members!  The Grand Stand seating is located in front of the Bank of America building (Fayetteville St.) and will include bleacher seating, hot chocolate and coffee, pre-parade entertainment and optimal viewing of the parade!
Pre-parade entertainment this year will include several acapella groups and other entertainment acts!
Seats are limited and will go fast, so be sure to reserve your spots today (limit 4 per GRMA/SLR business member)! Email info@grma.org if you have more questions and/or to reserve a spot for your business.

Follow the WRAL Christmas Parade on Twitter with the hashtag #RaleighParade or @RaleighParade & Facebook at www.facebook.com/RaleighChristmasParade.