RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The Raleigh Veteran’s Day Parade this weekend is cancelled, parade organizers announced Tuesday.
Earlier Tuesday evening, Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin confirmed with CBS 17 that there wouldn’t be motorized vehicles in the parade.
“Staff made a decision to not allow motorized vehicles to ensure consistency and safety,” Mayor Baldwin said in a message.
Terry Chatfield is the treasurer of Wake County Council of Veterans Organization Inc., the group that organizes the parade. He said parade organizers decided to cancel the parade altogether after learning cars would not be allowed.
“Our parade would be diminished,” said Terry Chatfield
Chatfield said the parade was supposed to have about 115 vehicles.
About two dozen of those vehicles were supposed to be from members of the Piedmont Classic Chevy Club. The club’s President David Smith said he’s disappointed there’s no parade this year.
“We do this for the joy of the spectators,” Smith said. “The Veterans Day Parade, I could see why they would cancel it if they don’t allow any motorized vehicles.”
A day before the parade change, CBS 17 asked Mayor Baldwin and City of Raleigh staff about inconsistencies people pointed to, wondering why cars were allowed at other parades, but not this year’s Christmas Parade.
The city made the move to ban cars from this year’s Christmas parade, citing safety concerns. A dancer was hit and killed by a driver during last year’s Christmas parade.
Wake Citizens Coalition Director told CBS 17 on Monday he felt the city had two standards when it came to cars for parades.
CBS 17 spoke to him Tuesday after city leaders banned cars from this weekend’s Veterans Day Parade.
“They’re trying to apply a standard the same across all groups because they’ve been forced to by the public seeing what’s occurred,” Stansbury said.
He believes both parades should be allowed cars, and feels the city still needs to find a clear policy on parades.
“It seems to be being done on the fly,” Stansbury said.
The traditional ceremony to honor veterans will still take place even though the Veterans Day Parade will not.
It will be held outside the Capitol on Edenton Street at 11 a.m.
