Charlotte’s Parade Best In U.S.?: Here’s How To Vote

CHARLOTTE, NC -- The parade may be over, but the thrill of Charlotte’s Thanksgiving Day Parade could live on a bit longer thanks to a national contest looking for the best holiday spectacle in the nation. This year, the Queen City has a shot at winning USA Today’s Best Holiday Parade, and is currently No. 5 out of 20 cities vying for the title in online voting.

The current leader in the online vote, which ends Monday, Dec. 4, is the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia, followed by parades in Detroit, Baltimore, Annapolis and Charlotte.

Editors at USA Today have nominated the Queen City's annual holiday parade as one of the 20 best in the country. The newspaper's list of the 10-best parades from around the country will be narrowed down by reader votes.

Here’s what they say about Charlotte’s parade: “One of the largest parades in the Southeast takes place in Charlotte each Thanksgiving Day. The Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade celebrates its 70th year in 2017 with a lineup of floats, live performances, marching bands, celebrities and dignitaries.”

You can cast your vote here once a day until voting ends Dec. 4 at noon. Winners of the "Readers' Choice 2017" contest will be announced by USA Today on Dec. 8.

Here are the 20 best holiday parade nominees:

• America's Thanksgiving Parade - Detroit
• Calistoga Lighted Tractor Parade - Calistoga, Calif.
• Children's Christmas Parade - Atlanta
• Children's Health Holiday Parade - Dallas
• Christmas Ship Parade -- Portland, Ore.
• Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade - Annapolis, Md.
• H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade - Houston
• Holiday Boat Parade of Lights - Alexandria, Va.
• Hollywood Christmas Parade - Hollywood, Calif.
• Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - New York
• Mayor's Annual Christmas Parade -- Baltimore
• McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade -- Chicago
• Mummers Parade -- Philadelphia
• Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade -- Newport Beach, Calif.
• Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade -- Charlotte
• Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade -- Philadelphia
• Reston Holiday Parade -- Reston, Va.
• San Diego Bay Parade of Lights -- San Diego
• Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade -- Fort Lauderdale
• Twinkle Light Parade -- Albuquerque

Photo via Pixabay