Flying flags, marching bands, dancers, go-carts, and Santa and Mrs. Claus; the annual Fayetteville Rotary Club Christmas Parade is set for Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. in downtown Fayetteville.

The parade line-up will take place behind the Cumberland County Courthouse, starting at 8 a.m., and will mark the beginning of the parade route. The annual event is the kick-off to the Christmas countdown in downtown Fayetteville.

Keeping with tradition, the parade will march downtown via Person Street, around the Market House, the side facing the Fascinate U Children’s Museum on Green Street, and down Hay Street, ending at a little past Huske Hardware and making a left. Families planning to attend should arrive a little early to get the best seats in the house (pssst…. it’s anywhere between Huske Hardware and Blue Moon Cafe according to Brandon Price, Rotary Christmas Parade Chair).

Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets for comfort while enjoying the parade, as there are 110 to 120 parade participants.

The position of Parade Grand Marshall is one of pride, as the club makes it a point to choose someone who will be an inspiration for the children in the community. This year’s Grand Marshall is Fayetteville State University Chancellor Darrell T. Allison. This year’s parade will feature the World Famous and locally loved 82nd Airborne Division Band from Fort Liberty.

Attendees and participants can expect new precautions and rules to keep them safe as surrounding areas have changed amid growing safety concerns. Brandon Price said, “We are requiring all drivers be licensed and all vehicles have a recent inspection provided to the parade committee before vehicles can line up, and Ville City Jeeps and a few Jeeps from other local clubs are participating to provide a buffer behind walking groups to help keep them safe. This is a group collective effort, coordinated with Lavar Wright, local community leader, and activist.”

It was a welcomed change by all involved with the parade.

The Fayetteville Rotary Club has been organizing and coordinating this family-favorite event for well over 20 years. Established May 1, 1920, under the motto “Service Over Self,” the club has made its mission to make the community a better place for all of its residents, giving to local nonprofits, such as Operation Inasmuch, and through community grants.

Service projects that they support in Fayetteville and Cumberland County are:

• The Walker Family Golf Classic

• Rotary Loudermilk Scholarship Award at Methodist College

• Downtown Linear Park Overlook

• Cumberland Community Foundation — West Fayetteville Endowment Fund, supporting charitable

projects in the Fayetteville area

• Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

• Rick’s Place – Playground for military families

• Better Health of Cumberland County

• Solar Panels for Rwanda

• Rotary International Youth Exchange Student Program

 

Along with the annual Christmas parade and community outreach and support, they also sponsor Cumberland County High School juniors and seniors to attend the Rotary International District 7730 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Conference.

This conference is designed to help students build strong leadership skills and build a network of friends outside of their community.

Community members interested in joining the Fayetteville Rotary Club can visit the website https://fayettevillerotaryclub.org/index.php, and those interested in participating in a future Christmas parade can visit https://www.rotarychristmasparade.com/.