THE FIRST-EVER VIRTUAL ‘ABC11 LEITHCARS.COM RALEIGH CHRISTMAS PARADE CELEBRATION PRESENTED BY SHOP LOCAL RALEIGH’
The 76th Annual Parade Will Exclusively Air on ABC11, Nov. 21 (10 a.m.-12 p.m.), and Features Celebrity Appearances With a Spotlight on Local businesses
Viewers can Live Stream at ABC11.com, ABC11 News App and ABC11 North Carolina connected TV apps on Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku
Shop Local Raleigh and broadcast partner ABC11 announced plans earlier in the year to produce a virtual 2020 Raleigh Christmas Parade to adhere to mandated social distancing and ensure viewers could enjoy the parade safely. The “ABC11 Leithcars.com Raleigh Christmas Parade Celebration Presented by Shop Local Raleigh” airs on ABC11, SATURDAY, NOV. 21(10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EDT), and will rebroadcast on Christmas Day. Hosted by ABC11’s John Clark, Barbara Gibbs, Steve Daniels, Tisha Powell, Joel Brown and Amber Rupinta, this year viewers will have the additional option to stream the event live at ABC11.com, ABC11 News App, and ABC11 North Carolina connected TV apps on Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.ruihg
Since 1944, thousands of local families have joined their neighbors and friends for the Raleigh Christmas Parade down Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. This year, the two-hour special will bring viewers the same joy they have grown accustomed to in a virtual celebration safely from their home.
“Shop Local Raleigh has organized the parade since its inception and canceling the parade was not an option. Our community is resilient, and this parade is a testimony to just that. Our small business community looks forward to the parade every year to officially kick off the holiday shopping season and we are hopeful that our community will get out and support more than ever this year! We are thrilled to be partnered with ABC11 and all of this year’s sponsors to bring holiday cheer to our community and the great state of North Carolina,” said Jennifer Martin, executive director, Shop Local Raleigh.
The holiday special will feature more than 75 businesses, exciting performances, award-winning musical acts, virtual celebrity appearances, contests, historical parade vignettes and more.
“We are proud broadcast partners with Shop Local and it brings us joy to be able to serve the community by continuing the tradition of the parade via our broadcast and streaming platforms,” said Rob Elmore, president and general manager of ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh Durham. “We encourage families who are out of town and can’t be together to join the parade festivities by downloading the ABC11 news app. They can host virtual family viewing parties and stream the entire celebration together in the safety of their homes.”
Celebrity guests and performers include new Christmas music from Train, Meghan Trainor, local “American Idol” contestant Franklin Boone, Raleigh’s own Broadway Actor John Arthur Greene, Disney’s music group DCapella, and many more local artists as well! The celebration will include local performances by Miss North Carolina, the NC Master Chorale, the Raleigh Boys Choir, and Ira David Wood III as Ebenezer Scrooge of “Theater in the Park’s A Christmas Carol.” LeithCars.com presents the debut of a new “Jingle Bells” music video produced by J. Pelham and features local artists Imani Pressley, Lena Jackson, DL Zene and Justin Mitchell. There will be a special performance at Ruggero Piano as well as performances by local high school bands, dance groups and so much more. WakeMed Children’s Hospital will also offer viewers holiday safety tips.
Viewers can participate in a holiday sweepstakes and win numerous prizes at ABC11 provided by local business owners including an opportunity to win the grand prize 2-carat diamond pendant necklace from Raleigh Diamond Fine Jewelry, a Christmas light home package from NCChristmasLights.com; tech gifts such as a gold iPhone 12 Pro; a DJ station from Disney Music Group’s DCapella and many other prizes. A complete list of sweepstakes prizes and rules can be found here.
About ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham
The only local news station with three downtown newsrooms (Raleigh/Fayetteville/Durham), ABC11 Eyewitness News provides 47.5 hours of local news every week, serving more than 1 million households in a 23-county area in North Carolina and Virginia. Eyewitness News also provides news, weather and sports information 24 hours a day on ABC11.com, the ABC11 mobile news app and the new connected TV app available on Roku, Fire, Apple, and Android TVs. ABC11 WTVD is one of eight ABC Owned Stations as part of the Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution division. For more information, go to http://www.abc11.com.
