Rocky Mount Rotary Club Christmas Parade Canceled This Year

ROCKY MOUNT – Organizers of the annual Christmas Parade in Rocky Mount put on by the Rotary Club have canceled the 2020 parade, citing a low number of willing participants. The following announcement was made Thursday on their Facebook page.

“As with many other events, festivals, and gatherings during 2020, the hosting parties have grappled with all of the Local, State, and Federal Pandemic protocols and requirements due to COVID-19 as well as the safety of all organizers and attendees.

The 2020 parade, after much discussion and consideration around the safety of both the participants and spectators, was to be a ‘Reverse Parade’.

A ‘Reverse Parade’ would have placed all of the floats as stationary floats within the parking lot of the Benjamin Franklin Middle School and then allow the spectators to drive through a dedicated route to see all the floats. The participants in the parade this year would have been limited to floats only for 2020.

We delivered a poll to nearly 150 former participants in the parade to determine their interest in participating in this format for 2020.

Due to the very low number responses from the former participants that were willing to participate, The Rotary Club of Rocky Mount has decided to CANCEL this year’s Parade.

“Our Club is really disappointed that we have to cancel another of our major events for 2020. The Members of this Club really wanted to come up with a creative alternative to host the Parade and keep everyone as safe as possible, however with the low response from our former participants we are not able to host the event this year. We are truly disappointed, but know better times are ahead” says Club President Carl Cline”