Hatteras Village Christmas Parade will be held December 9; Entries are still being accepted for this year’s event

November 30, 2023 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

A scene from 2019’s Hatteras Village Christmas Parade

The Hatteras Village Christmas Parade is celebrating its 32nd year in 2023, and entries are still being accepted for the annual event, which will be held on Saturday afternoon, December 9, at 2:00 p.m.

The parade includes cash prizes for first, second, and third-place winners, as well as an additional prize for the most festive golf cart.

A scene from the 2021 Christmas Parade. Photo by Don Bowers.

Any organization, group, or individual is welcome to sign up, and can do so by emailing hatterasevents@yahoo.com, or by scanning the QR code in the image below.

The parade originated in 1991 with local fire trucks and emergency vehicles, a handful of impressive floats, a mini horse, and a grand finale of Santa Claus riding high on a boat.

Immediately a big hit with residents and participants alike, there has been a parade almost every year since the original 1991 event, with the exception of post-Isabel 2003, (when there was an “unofficial” parade with Red Hat Society women and a group of kids on bikes), and 2020, when the parade was canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Last year, roughly 35 entries signed up for the parade, and while only 10 businesses and organizations have signed up so far for 2023, organizers anticipate an equally large number of participants. Because of this, the setup for the event will be a little different this year, with two staging and launching points at area parking lots before the march begins.

On parade day, the island community is invited to line the streets of Hatteras along the route, which extends from Teach’s Lair Marina to northern Eagle Pass Road, to watch the floats and catch candy. The parade is always a fun annual event that brings everyone out to celebrate, and Santa’s arrival at the end rings in the Christmas season.

Click here to view highlights from the last Hatteras Village Parade, which was held in 2022. For more information on the parade and other Hatteras village events, visit https://www.facebook.com/HatterasVillage/.