Get your float on! Here’s how to watch the 2022 Charlotte Thanksgiving Eve parade
Watch balloons float through the sky and colorful floats drive by while musicians, dance groups and others entertain at the Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
The family friendly parade is a Thanksgiving Eve tradition for thousands of people in Uptown Charlotte, where it’s running for the 76th time. Applications to join the parade route are closed for this year, but volunteers ages 16 and older are welcome.
Here are the Thanksgiving parade details
How to watch: Live starting at 5:30 p.m. along North Tryon Street from 9th Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in Uptown Charlotte or via the live broadcast on WBTV, starting at 6 p.m. The parade will air again on Thanksgiving Day and on Christmas morning.
Cost: Free, but VIP tickets for designated seating along Tryon Street are available for $35 each and are on sale online. A maximum of eight tickets are allowed in each transaction, and children 2 and under don’t need a ticket for the VIP section.
Add-on experience: Tickets for Santa’s Winter Wonderland, which takes place from 3-5 p.m. before the parade at Two Wells Fargo, 301 S. Tryon St., inside the Wells Fargo Atrium, are available online for $45.
Santa’s Winter Wonderland ticketholders will be able to access a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus that comes with a free photo, a choice of hot chocolate or coffee and a cookie, a choice of fresh fruit cup or Rice Krispie treat. and a reserved seat in the nearby VIP seating area to watch the parade.
Parking: Parking will be available throughout the center city. Event organizers recommend checking for available spaces with Inrix ParkMe.
Food and drink: Tryon Street vendors will offer food and beverages for sale.
Restrooms: Portable facilities will be set up along the parade route.
Pets: Pets are not recommended, due to the amount of noise and crowds.
