If you love a parade, Saturday is going to be a good day.
Both Fayetteville and Hope Mills will celebrate Christmas with parades.
The Fayetteville Rotary Christmas Parade, organized by the Rotary Club of Fayetteville since 1999, will return to downtown. It will start at 10 a.m. at Liberty Point on Person Street and travel around the Market House, then continue along Hay Street toward the Amtrak Railroad Station, according to organizers.
At 5 p.m., the Hope Mills Christmas Parade will begin at Rockfish Elementary School on Rockfish Road. It will travel east to the intersection of Rockfish Road and North Main Street, then to the intersection of North Main Street and Cameron Road. It will turn left on Cameron Road and end at Hope Mills Middle School, according to the town of Hope Mills’ website.
The Fayetteville parade will run a little longer than usual this year because of safety measures prompted by a fatal accident in Raleigh, parade organizers have said.
An 11-year-old girl who was in Raleigh’s parade was killed when a pickup truck’s brakes failed and the vehicle struck her.
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The safety measures include switching the order of parade participants and ensuring that vehicles in the parade have been properly inspected.
The roughly 70 parade entries include bands, dance groups, motorcycles, and horses. Amy Navejas, a Rotarian and CEO of Cumberland County United Way, will be the grand marshal.
ABC11 TV will broadcast the parade live, according to a news release.
Meanwhile, Hope Mills plans other Christmas celebrations starting Friday evening, the town’s website says.
From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Christmas at the Lake will include a lighting at 6 p.m. Food trucks will be in place, and Santa and Mrs. Claus will visit and pose for photos. Participants are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. Christmas music, hot chocolate and desserts will be available.
On Saturday morning, the Hope Mills Recreation Center will host Breakfast With Santa. Two sessions are planned: from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 to 11 a.m. The cost is $10. Seating is limited, and registration is required online. Go to townofhopemills.com.
From noon to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Hope Mills Lake, pet owners can take photos with their furry friends during Paws & Claus Pet Pics. Pictures will be available for purchase.
