Morganton's 'Christmas Through the Ages' parade filled with energy, excitement

The streets of downtown Morganton were lined with revelers of all ages for the city’s annual Christmas parade Tuesday, Dec. 2.

The picture-perfect evening did not disappoint. This year’s theme, “Christmas Through the Ages,” featured a cavalcade of marching bands, beauty queens, elected officials, nonprofits, and hometown businesses. Burke County’s America250 Committee served as grand marshal, leading the 107 entries.

“I was very impressed with the float decor this year,” said Makenzie McGinnis, Main Street manager. “It was so fun to see the different takes on the theme, Christmas through the Ages. The traditional Christmas decor was also fun to see, and I was very impressed with how people got creative with their cars, in addition to those who decorated floats. Lastly, I want to shout-out all of the bands this year! They sounded amazing and we were so fortunate to have six bands, which made the parade so lively and even more entertaining.”

Like previous years, Bryan Black and Tom Peeler were perched atop the grandstand, announcing each parade entry as they passed by.

“Makenzie and I were tickled to see how creatively everyone embraced this year’s theme, especially the fun nods to the ’70s and ’80s,” said Kasey Goodfellow, community events coordinator. “We also loved all the lights and decor decking out the floats and vehicles — those bright little details truly make the parade shine as it rolls through the streets of Downtown Morganton.”

A nearly two-hour power outage that affected parts of downtown and northeast Morganton was fortunately resolved shortly before crowds gathered to watch the parade make its route through the heart of the city.

The city’s cable CoMPAS X-Stream livestreamed the event. For those who weren’t able to attend the event or watch it live can still catch the spirit of the evening. The parade will be rebroadcast on CoMPAS X-Stream throughout the holiday season.