Charlotte will not have a Thanksgiving Day parade this year for the first time in more than 65 years. That's because the organizers of the Carolinas' Carrousel Parade were unable to raise the money. Belk stepped down as the main sponsor after last year's parade. Jeff Collins is president of the Carrousel board of directors.
"It's sad. I mean I've been here all my life, and not to have the parade, I'm sure it'll probably ring home a little bit more I'm sure when it gets closer to Thanksgiving," Collins says. "But our goal is to continue to look for that sponsorship and make sure that the parade is back in 2014."
Last year, U.S. News & World Report cited Charlotte's celebration as one of America's best Thanksgiving Day parades. In 1947, a group of businessman in uptown Charlotte started the parade in 1947 in an effort to attract new people to uptown Charlotte and its department stores for the holiday season.
