The NC Veterans Day Parade has been canceled for the second year in a row, organizers say

The Wake County Veterans Council has decided to cancel the North Carolina Veterans Day Parade for the second year in a row.

Parade organizers said the rules were too strict to meet deadlines on time.

“It’s a disappointment,” said Richard Spyrison of the Wake County Council of Veterans.

Organizers canceled the 2023 parade after the city issued new parade guidelines following the death of 11-year-old Hailey Brooks, who died when she was hit by a runaway truck carrying a parade float.

The most notable policy was the ban on motorized vehicles in a parade, something veterans opposed because some of them had limited mobility. In 2023, Spyrison told WRAL News that several veterans would not walk down Fayetteville Street.

In July, the City Council passed a new policy allowing motorized vehicles at the Raleigh Christmas Parade and other events. The policy included new age requirements for drivers and safety inspections of vehicles within 30 days of the event.

The new policy prohibits any parade participant from “throwing, tossing or hurling any type of object into the crowd.” No candy, beads or prizes may be thrown or distributed during the parade or along the route.

Spyrison said there were just too many restrictions for her.

“A lot of them sound reasonable, but some of them were just so overwhelming that we asked ourselves, 'How can we make this happen?' “Can we make it in time?” Spyrison said.

The Veterans Council held another ceremony in front of the state capital building in 2023 with a band instead of a parade. WRAL News reached out to the City of Raleigh, which provided the following statement from a spokesperson:

“The Veterans Day Parade organizers were included in the process when we established our parade guidelines earlier this year. We have also met with them several times in the last few months. We cannot speak for them as to why they chose not to parade, but we can tell you that the health, safety and well-being of our community at these events is and always will be our top priority.”

The Veterans Council will hold a ceremony outside the Capitol again at 11 a.m. on Nov. 9, and organizers said they have more reason to make it bigger and better.