Christmas Parade Info, VIP Seating & Holiday Shopping

2017 Shop Local Raleigh Christmas Parade entry!!!

The 73rd Annual ABC-11 Raleigh Christmas Parade is televised live on ABC-11 & WTVD 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 get the message about Shop Local Raleigh out.

Shop Local Raleigh has a custom float to highlight the importance of shopping local during the holiday season.

We would like you to participate with the entry.  We will have signs made with messaging on why it’s important to shop local for you to carry.  If you are interested in being a part of this fun-filled morning and spreading the message and word about shopping small, we want to hear from you!

Day of the parade info:
Nov. 18 – All participants to arrive downtown at the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association and Shop Local Raleigh Raleigh Christmas Parade sponsored by ABC 11. Meet at Hillsborough Street and St. Mary’s Street at 8:30am. The parade begins at 9:40.

You’re invited to walk with us and be a part of the Shop Local Raleigh entry. To sign up your business to walk with us, please complete this form so that we may plan accordingly.

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 seventh 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 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 questions 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: sarah@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 a Grand Stand seating area for all GRMA and Shop Local Raleigh members! The Grand Stand seating is located in front of what’s known as 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!

Seats are limited and will go fast, so be sure to reserve your spots today (limit 6 per GRMA/SLR business member)! Click here to reserve a spot for your business!

chr*All members reserving a space must be current on annual membership dues.

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