North Meck Christmas Parade Brings Two Towns Together

DAVIDSON, NC — North Mecklenburg is celebrating the 39th iteration of their Christmas parade that connects the towns of Davidson and Cornelius in Christmas cheer.

WHEN: Saturday, December 4, at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: The parade begins on the corner of Griffith and Main streets in Davidson 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.

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The Town of Davidson released the following in a press release honoring its grand marshals.

Parade Grand Marshals, sponsored this year by Lake Norman Chrysler Plymouth Dodge Jeep
Karen Houston (Davidson) and Gerald “Mickey Potts” (Cornelius)

The Town of Davidson is pleased to honor life-long resident Karen Houston who has been a quiet, unsung hero of the Davidson community. She regularly volunteers at every election because she believes it is critical that everyone be given the opportunity to vote. Karen continuously takes care of Davidson’s Police and Fire Departments by bringing food to first responders, celebrating their birthdays, and letting them know that they are appreciated. She loves to volunteer for various tasks and was a tremendous asset this past year assisting residents at town vaccination events. Realizing the immense job at hand, Karen single handedly went street by street, door by door to personally register all those in her West Davidson neighborhood who were eligible to get a vaccine. She spent countless hours reaching out to all her contacts to get as many people vaccinated as possible. She is responsible for helping over 200 residents receive vaccinations, a true example of unselfish service to the community.

The Town of Cornelius is pleased to honor Gerald “Mickey” Potts whose father Wilson opened the Potts Barber Shop on Catawba Avenue in 1960. Mickey still cuts hairs at the shop, and his late wife Nannie Potts was the first and only African American mayor of Cornelius. The barber shop recently received an historical designation during a town board meeting. Members of the Potts family were there along with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Landmarks Commission and town commissioners who voted unanimously in favor of the designation. “The Potts Barber Shop is an important cultural and historic property for the Town of Cornelius and very worthy of the historic landmark designation,” said historic preservation advocate Abigail Jennings. “The Potts family’s contributions to our region should be preserved and shared with future generations. They have touched many lives over the years and this is a well-earned accomplishment.”