East Lake Norman News

Town of Davidson issued the following announcement on Nov. 29.

North Mecklenburg Holiday Parade

Christmas in Davidson, one of the Town of Davidson’s signature events, will return this year on December 1, 2, and 3 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. each night.  Opening ceremonies begin on Thursday, December 1, at 6:00 p.m. with the arrival of Santa Claus on the town green. 

Event highlights include:

• a video and light show on downtown buildings
• strolling characters and other live entertainment
• bubble snowflakes 
• an artisan village
• a children’s craft area

Guests can expect to find unique gifts at many specialty shops and a wide variety of food by Davidson’s local restaurants. 

The Doggie Fashion Show will be held Friday, December 2, at 7:00 p.m. on the Davidson Public Library stage. Participants can register by clicking here. 

The Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest will be held Saturday, December 3, at 7:00 p.m. on the Davidson Public Library stage. No registration is required – simply show up in your festive sweater!

Please note that trolley service will be available this year. Please refer to www.christmasindavidson.com for trolley routes and stops. 

Street Closures

Each evening at 5:00 p.m., Main Street from Concord Road to Jackson Street will be closed to traffic so that the community can enjoy walking to all of the shops, restaurants, and activities. Accessible parking will be available in the library parking lot along Lorimer Road, and an attendant will be present to allow drivers access. 

For additional information on Christmas in Davidson please visit www.christmasindavidson.com.

 North Mecklenburg Holiday Parade

The 40th annual North Mecklenburg Holiday Parade begins on the corner of Griffith and Main streets in Davidson on Saturday, December 3, at 1:00 p.m. and proceeds south on Main Street (Hwy. 115) to Old Canal Street at the entrance to Antiquity in Cornelius. The streets being used for parade staging (Jackson and Watson from Depot to Delburg, Griffith from Main to Sloan/Beaty, and southbound Main from Beaty to Griffith) will close beginning at 10:00 a.m. Main Street from Beaty Street in Davidson south to Catawba Avenue will close at noon and will re-open at approximately 3:30 p.m. North Main Street from Concord to Jackson will remain closed following the parade through the conclusion of Christmas in Davidson events that evening. 

For more information on the parade, including detour maps, please visit www.townofdavidson.org/parade.

Parade Grand Marshals, sponsored this year by Lake Norman Chrysler Plymouth Dodge Jeep: Chief Penny Dunn (Davidson) and Chief Kevin Black (Cornelius) 

The Town of Davidson is pleased to honor retiring Chief of Police Penny Dunn.  Chief Dunn served the Davidson community for over five years, strengthening the department significantly. Dunn’s experience in law enforcement included work in several areas including criminal investigation; day and night shift and specialized unit (including the K-9 unit) command; narcotics; employee recruitment; and cold case investigation. Town Manager Jamie Justice noted, “At a time when police departments across the county are under increased scrutiny, it has become clear that the Davidson Police Department holds itself to the highest standards. This is not only evident in the department maintaining certification by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), but by Chief Dunn working diligently to create a structure in the department that allowed more leaders to step forward, increased accountability, and strengthened the foundation upon which our next Chief of Police can build.”

The Town of Cornelius is pleased to honor retiring Chief of Police Kevin Black. Chief Black has served the Cornelius Police Department with distinction for three decades, having come to Cornelius in 1993 after completing a degree in Criminal Justice from Mitchell Community College and risen through the ranks from patrol officer to sergeant, captain, and major. “Chief Kevin Black has served the Cornelius Police Department well for nearly 30 years, and the announcement of his retirement follows many years of outstanding service to our town,” said Mayor Woody Washam. “I thank Chief Black for his many years of service.”

Merry Main Street Trike RaceThe second annual Merry Main Street Tricycle Race will take place Saturday, December 3, at 3:00 p.m. after the conclusion of the holiday parade. Come watch four-person trike teams sponsored by Davidson businesses race through an obstacle course down Main Street.

Original source can be found here.