Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade is back for 2018, for its 71st year. It’s bigger and better than ever. It’s back to traveling south again, after a couple years of traveling north. It’ll set off from Tryon Street at 9th Street at 9 a.m., and head south on Tryon to Stonewall Street.
Scroll down for a special promo code to save $5 on VIP tickets.
Dozens of live entertainment artists will be performing at the stage on S. Tryon Street, between Stonewall Street and Levine Avenue of the Arts.
Segwalloons at the Thanksgiving Day Parade
There will also be Segwalloons (Ground-level character balloons that cover Segways.) If you’re not a Charlotteean (or even if you are) you might be asking “What are Segwalloons?”
Segwalloons are a Charlotte original. Introduced at the 2013 Thanksgiving Day Parade, they are a cross between balloons and Segways. The design allows the driver to interact with the crowd in a unique way. The original two Segwalloons were an elf and a snowman. Since then they’ve taken different forms, including Colonial characters, which are also in operation on Meck Dec Day.
You will find Segwalloons only in Charlotte.
Reserved seats for the Thanksgiving Day Parade
The parade, of course, is free to attend, but you can also purchase tickets for some prime seating. The procedure has changed this year.
This year’s seats are broken into sections along Tryon Street between MLK Jr Blvd. and right after Levine Avenue of the Arts. You may purchase seats in any section you’d like.
Each section consists of two general admission rows, so once you’ve bought seats in that particular section, you may sit in any available seat in your reserved section. You must scan your tickets at the box office (see the attached map) on Thanksgiving morning. The box office opens at 7:00 a.m. and your seats will be available then.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the parade. But use the promo code CharlotteCheap5 to save $5 on tickets. The promo code is case sensitive.
Click below for a map that shows the seating areas and the performance area.
The Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV
- The parade will be broadcast regionally on WBTV, Channel 3 (CBS) on Thanksgiving Day, at 4:00 p.m.
- You can watch it live through the parade mobile app.</a
- The Parade will also be available streaming on WBTV online at 9:00 a.m.
Also, get the Novant Health Thanskgiving Day Parade App.
Parking for the Thanksgiving Day Parade
To find parking in Uptown Charlotte, use this parking map from Charlotte Center City Partners. But know that some of parking lots on the map might not be available the day of the parade, and prices at some of them can vary wildly when there are major events.
Consider instead taking the light rail. Not only will you need need to worry about finding a spot to park, but the price of tickets will not go up!
These stations are all short walks from the parade route:
- 9th Street Station
- 7th Street Station
- CTC Station
- 3rd Street Station
- Stonewall Station
Charlotte Christmas Village
The Charlotte Christmas Village, a German-inspired Christmas market, is in its 3rd year in 2018, and this year is moving from Romare Bearden Park to 7th Street and N. Tryon Street, which is along the parade route. It opens Thanksgiving Day, so make sure to stop by and visit after the parade. Santa will be at the Christmas Village from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It’s free to take pictures with Santa with your own camera.
- Free things to do this week
- Most spectacular Christmas light displays
- Day by day list of holiday events
- Charlotte area holiday markets
- Free Christmas and holiday concerts (check back soon for 2018 updates)
- Self-guided walking tour of Uptown Charlotte Christmas lights and attractions (check back soon for 2018 updates)
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