Welcome to Independent Tribune Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

independenttribune.com - Independent Tribune

HomeNewsEntertainmentSportsLifestylesOpinionCommunityWeather Online Tools Jobs | Real Estate | Shopping | Classified

Henry named grand marshal of Concord Christmas parade

By Karen Cimino Wilson | Independent Tribune

Published: November 20, 2009

Concord will kick off the holiday season on Saturday afternoon with its 81st Christmas parade featuring Dr. Hector Henry, a Concord City Councilman, as the grand marshal.

Henry, who served in Iraq from July through October and has been a councilman for 30 years, said he was humbled by being chosen grand marshal this year.

"I've been living in Concord all these years and have been going to the parade all those years," he said. "To actually be the marshal of the parade is just breathtaking."

The annual parade will begin at 2:30 p.m. The parade starts at Church Street North at Lake Concord Road Northeast and ends at Union Street South at Corban Avenue Southeast/Southwest. The 2.2-mile route will take the parade down Buffalo Avenue Northeast and onto Union Street North until it ends at Corban Avenue.

The Concord Christmas Parade is one of the oldest and largest in the Carolinas, according to city officials.

Organizers expect more than 150 entries, 10 bands, 20 professional floats and 50 church, school and organization floats.

Parade organizers expect a crowd of about 30,000 to 40,000 people to watch the parade along its route this year.

The Downtown Merchants started the Concord Christmas Parade in 1928. It was later taken over by the Concord Chamber of Commerce.

Following the merger of the Concord and Kannapolis chambers, the Cabarrus Events Association was formed to stage parades and other municipal festivals.

The parade was originally held on Wednesday afternoon because the downtown merchants closed. The city moved its parade to Saturday afternoon in the 1970s.

The judges' stand will be located at Union Street North at Sun Trust Bank. First-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded in the church, school and organization floats categories. The prizes will carry a cash award. There also will be a cash award for best band called the "Gene Lentz Band Award."

• Contact Karen Cimino Wilson: 704-789-9141