Presents 

Carteret County Veterans Day Parade,

Saturday, November 9, 2024.

 On behalf of the Veterans Coalition of the Crystal Coast and the over 8,000 veterans of Carteret County, the public is invited to participate in the 2024 Carteret County Veterans Day Parade. The parade will be held in Morehead City on November 9, 2024, starting at 11:00 AM. The parade will start at 17th Street and proceed down Arendell Street in the east-bound lane to 5th Street. The Reviewing Stand will be located between 10th Street and 11th Street at the Train Depot.

This year’s Grand Marshal: TBD

 General Information

This parade was established to allow Veterans, Veterans Service Organizations, individuals, and any other group/organization the opportunity to remember and to honor our nation’s Veterans who have proudly served this country. This parade has grown from only a handful of participants to over 2,000 participants honoring our Veterans and is the largest Veterans Day Parade in North Carolina. If you are not participating and would like to see this great parade, please come to downtown Morehead City on Saturday, November 9th to join us in this time-honored event. If you are a participant, please remember that the parade is about honoring Veterans and not about advertising or politics. Participants please see the information below.

 Veterans wishing to be a part of this event and would like to join with veterans of a particular era need not complete an entry form, you only have to show up at one of the following locations below on the day of the parade. Please arrive by 10 am. Golf carts and other vehicles will be available for those who wish to ride.

 World War II & Korean Veterans assemble at Shelby’s at the corner of Arendell and 14th St.

Vietnam, to current Global War on Terror assemble in the parking lot at the corner of Arendell and 17th St.

 All entrants are expected to decorate their vehicles/floats appropriately. Political groups and candidates may participate, however, you may not advertise for any political candidate (or yourself – name and office on vehicle is permitted on vehicle of office holder).

Participant Registration

Please visit www.carteretcountyveteransdayparade.com/registration-1 to complete the entry form online.  If you have any questions, please call 252-499-0146. Please note that the cut-off for processing entry forms is 5 pm on October 23rd, 2024.  Parade line up positions will be posted at www.carteretcountyveteransdayparade.com/lineup on November 3rd by noon. If you do not have access to the internet, you may call 252-499-0146 between 9 am and 6 pm M-F to request your parade position number. Please follow the directions below for dropping off participants near the staging area and for arriving at and driving in the staging area.

Timeline for Staging

The parade will start at 11:00 AM. Arriving early will ensure ease of access to your position and help reduce last-minute traffic congestion. Parade position markers should all be in place by 8 am the day of the parade. Volunteer will be on-site by 8:30 AM, to direct traffic into and around the staging area, to pass out paper plates with parade position numbers, and to help you find your position.

Participant Drop-Off Instructions

If you are dropping off participant(s), do not drive into the staging area. The right lane of east-bound traffic on Arendell St. will be marked by orange cones for drop off area between 15th and 18th Street. Pull into the area to discharge participants and then move on. This is not a waiting or parking area; it is for drop off only. DO NOT DRIVE INTO THE PRADE STAGING AREA TO DROP OFF PARTICIPANTS! The Staging Area is on Evans St., and Shepard St., between 14th St. and 18th St.

Driving to your position

To drive to your starting position, please follow the directions below:

To Enter the Staging Area on Evans, Shepard, and 17th St.

Turn South off Arendell St. at 14th St. or 13th St.

At the entrance to the staging area, at Evans and 14th St., and at Evans and 13th St., volunteers and law enforcement officers will be available to direct participants to their staging positions.

Each staging position will be marked with a number on a white card on a wooden stake on the side of each street. Additional volunteers will be positioned on Arendell, 17th, Shepard, Evans, St Egbert’s, and at Morehead City Drug parking lot to pass out the paper plate with your position number. The number on the paper plate will match your parade position number and the number on the stake at the side of the road where each group is to assemble.

Exception: High School Bands & Support Vehicles.

High School Bands and support vehicles, enter the staging area at 18th St. and turn Left on Evans and proceed to your assigned locations on the Right side of the street (positions 35, 99, and 150). Please note that once your support vehicle is on Evans St. it will have to be inserted into the parade just ahead of or behind your group.

Bands alternative to parking on Evans.

Off-load in front of St. Egbert’s, and send the support vehicle to the end of the parade.

Note: There is no parking for bandmember POVs in and around St. Egbert’s, please consider bussing students or dropping off on Arendell St. between 18th and 17th St.

For positions on 17th Street

Turn Right on Shackleford St, Turn Right on 17th and proceed to your position. Traffic on both sides of the street is one way-North.

For positions on Evans St. between 17th St. and 14th St.

Turn Right on Evans St. and proceed to your position. Traffic on both sides of the street is one way-West.

For positions on Shepard Street

Turn Right on Shepard St. and proceed to your position. Traffic on both sides of the street is one way-East.

For positions on Arendell Street

Approach from West of 24th St. in the Left-hand, East-Bound Lane of Arendell St. Your position will be in the median next to the RR Tracks facing East.

For positions at St. Egbert’s Church, west side parking lot or for trailered vehicles that must be off-loaded

Turn South off Arendell St. at 18th St. off-load your parade vehicles in the designated area (southwest corner at 18th St and Evans) and proceed to your position.

For positions in the Morehead City Drug parking lot (btwn 17th-18th St. and Bridges and Arendell)

All positions enter the parking lot from 18th St. and move to your position (park facing East).

Motorcycles, please move to position 1 (3rd row) at 17th St. parking in two rows as close as possible, and we will start another two rows if necessary. A volunteer will be available to assist.

All other entries proceed to your staging position. Positions 50-55 (2nd row) to the left. Positions 42-49 (1st row) to the right. Leave room for vehicles to pass between rows 1 and 2.

For positions on 17th Street beside Morehead City Drug parking lot

Approach from Bridges St., turn south onto 17th St. Your position will be on your right (park facing South).

For positions at 14th Street in Shelby’s parking lot

Approach from Bridges St., turn south on 14th St. and proceed to your position (park facing South or as staging permits).

Parking

Parking in the parade line-up area is extremely limited. Please plan to drop off participants outside of this area and have them walk to their position. We recommend that you and your group rally in an area away from the parade staging and parade route and arrive in the vehicle(s) that is registered to be in the parade. All of Shepard, and Evans between 18th St. and 14th St. is reserved for the parade line up. Please be courteous and do not park personal vehicles that will not be in the parade in this area. Please do not park on the side streets in the staging area and please do not block personal drives or park in areas designated for parade participants only (by numbered markers).

General Traffic Flow

The parade starting point is at the corner of Arendell St. and 17th St. and the parade progresses east bound on Arendell St. to 5th St.

All parade staging positions on 17th St. face North towards Arendell St.

All parade staging positions on Evans St. between 17th and 18th St. face East towards 17th St.

All parade staging positions on Evans St. between 17th and 14th St. face West towards 17th St.

All parade staging positions on Shepard St. face West towards 17th St.

All parade positions on Arendell St. will park in the East-Bound side of the median next to the RR Tracks and face East towards 17th St.

All parade positions at the Morehead City Drug parking lot face East towards 17th St. The exceptions are those positions on 17th St. between Arendell and Bridges that will face South towards Arendell.

All parade positions at Shelby’s will move to 17th St. via Arendell St. West-bound Lane once traffic is stopped by law enforcement officers.

17th Street positions will proceed first, left side and then right side. Evans St. will proceed next, starting with the North side of Evans St. and then the South side of Evans St. Shepard St. North side will follow the last position from Evans St. followed by the South side of Shepard St.

The large vehicles or groups positioned at Shelby’s, the Morehead City Drug parking lot, St. Egberts, and on Arendell St. will be inserted into the parade by their position number as directed by the Parade Starter. Ensure that your parade position number is visible at the front or in/on the windshield of your vehicle (or other location that can be seen by parade officials.).

Driver/Participant Instructions

The parade progression will be toward the parade starting point at the corner of 17th St. & Arendell St. As you approach this position, ensure your parade position number is clearly visible to the Parade Starter. Participants are to stop and wait for the Parade Starter to motion for you to proceed East on Arendell St.  Do not allow a large gap between you and the vehicle or group in front of you. If you are driving a vehicle, be extremely vigilant of children running into the street to retrieve the candy. You are responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle and the safety of the spectators near your vehicle! All drivers (including golf carts) must have a current, valid driver’s license! If you are walking with small animals, they must be on a leash, and you must clean any messes left by the animal. If you are riding a horse, etc., you must provide a cleanup team to follow and clean up any messes left by the animal.

As you approach the Reviewing Stand, hold up your position number (paper plate) so the announcer (to your front and right) can see the number. Do not stop in front of the Reviewing Stand. The end of the parade is at 5th St.

Throwing candy is discouraged as it creates an unsafe condition for children in the vicinity of moving vehicles.

Restrooms

Restrooms/Portable Restrooms will be available at St. Egbert’s, St. Egbert’s School Parking Lot, St Egbert’s west parking lot, in the Morehead City Drug parking lot, Shevans Park, Shelby’s (staging area for WWII and Korean War Veterans), and at the reviewing stand area.

Information Tents

There will be two information tents in the staging area. One in Shevans Park and one at the corner of Arendell and 17th St. If there is an emergency, please contact the closest volunteer or law enforcement officer or report to the information tent. These tents will be manned by volunteers, and there to assist with directions or location of Law Enforcement or Emergency Services personnel.

THANK YOU FOR HONORING OUR VETERANS AND HELPING MAKE THIS A

GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR ALL!