The 81st Raleigh Christmas Parade has come and gone.
The parade ended around noon Saturday with Santa and Mrs. Claus closing out the big celebration.
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Billed as an introduction of the holiday season, the parade features Triangle-area schools, bands and entertainers.
WRAL anchors and reporters were on the parade grounds starting at 9 a.m., speaking with performers and highlighting groups who are apart of this big spectacular.
See family and friends photos from the 2025 Raleigh Christmas Parade!
Send your parade photos to us at WRAL.com/ReportIt.
Performers, parades and more!
The Raleigh Christmas Parade began marching through downtown Raleigh shortly after 9:30 a.m. Here are some of the notable performers we got a glance at:
Santa and Mrs. Claus made time out of their busy schedules to say hi to the thousands who gathered in downtown Raleigh to get a glimpse of the jolly couple and the wonderful performers and organizations that came before them.
Stampede Of Love is a nonprofit that emphasizes the therapeutic benefits that an animal can bring to children and adults of all abilities.
WRAL producer Miriam Melvin was seen marching with the South Garner High School marching band!
The 40+ Double Dutch Club is an organization that empowers women in mental health and physical fitness, all while inspiring them in friendship, fitness, fun and fellowship.
The NC State marching band, Power Sound of the South, is also known as the "world's most dangerous marching band," with numbers of bandmembers reaching between 300 and 400.
Crescenloe is an acapella group at Enloe High School that was founded in 2015 by then-student Nyla Smith who had a vision of what could be created by pulling together some of Enloe's most talented singers and good-hearted people.
All the pageantry makes for one of the largest Christmas parades in the southeast. More than 80,000 visitors come downtown for the parade.
Why is the Raleigh Christmas Parade held before December? The parade is traditionally held the weekend before Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday shopping season. It's been on Saturday since 1971.
Other Triangle holiday parades
Raleigh isn't the only city in the area that has a Christmas parade! If you missed out on Raleigh or if you just love the holiday cheer, check out the other parades happening soon in the Triangle that WRAL will be covering during our weekend newscasts.
12/6 – WRAL Presents: The Apex Rotary Club Christmas Parade (5 p.m.) – FREE
Wake County's only nighttime holiday parade returns on the first Saturday of December at 5 p.m.
12/13 – WRAL Presents: The Durham Holiday Parade (10 a.m.) - FREE
Enjoy this holiday parade in downtown Durham on Main Street starting at 10 a.m. Seating will not be provided. Spectators are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets.
12/13 – WRAL Presents: The Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade (2 p.m.) – FREE
This annual parade starts at 2 p.m. in downtown Cary. The parade is a joyful celebration which includes bands, mascots, local businesses, community groups and churches.
Raleigh Christmas Parade route
The route encompassed much of downtown and passes by the State Capitol building and the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts before ending at the Raleigh Convention Center and Red Hat Amphitheater.
The Greater Raleigh Merchants Association has had the honor of organizing the Raleigh Christmas Parade since 1944! For the full parade history, click here.
Sky 5 flew over the parade when it began.
Weather forecast
Stay tuned to your WRAL Weather App or on the rolling weather story on WRAL.com for the most accurate forecast to keep you and your family safe.
The warmest on record for the Raleigh Christmas Parade was 77 degrees in 2011, while the coldest on record was 21 degrees in 2008.
The wettest on record was 2.53" of rain in 1907. Since 2000, no snow has fallen at the Raleigh Christmas Parade.
The average high is 61 degrees, and the average low is 38.
