South Raleigh News

Raleigh's annual Christmas parade has faced a possible cancellation because of safety concerns.

Last year, the Raleigh Christmas parade left a girl dead due to a crash. WRAL reported that Raleigh leaders denied permit access to participation in the parades, but local business owners aren't too fond of the cancellation of this tradition.

"The decision was made out of an abundance of caution for parade participants and spectators, as well as respect for Hailey Brooks’ family and friends," the city wrote in announcing the change. The article also stated that the family of Hailey Brooks wished the city would've reached out to them before making any big decisions. 

The city of Raleigh has had a lot of controversy regarding this debate. ABC 11 covered the matter and said, "The Greater-Raleigh Merchants Board approved the City of Raleigh's proposal to remove all motorized floats and vehicles from the parade lineup." The city wanted to cancel on behalf of the Brooks family, but the Brooks family would rather the city keep the tradition than cancel again. 

City of Raleigh officials recently announced that the parade would be entirely canceled, according to the News and Observer, but later, the city decided to keep the parade going without any motorized vehicles to promote safety. The parade will now take place Nov. 18.