Thousands celebrate Merry Cary with parade, Santa's arrival

A festive crowd of thousands lined Main Street in downtown Cary Sunday afternoon for the annual Merry Cary Holiday Parade and Festival.

It was part of a day's worth of activities that included pony rides, a petting zoo and the tree-lighting ceremony.

The biggest draw was the arrival of Santa Claus, by horse drawn carriage, at the end of the parade. He then posed for pictures and listened as a line of children delivered their wish lists.

As revelers arrived downtown and waited for the 1 p.m. start of the parade, emcee Kathy Ewing, of Musicconnections, quizzed the crowd on details of traditional Christmas television programs and played holiday tunes. The parade itself was filled with, and surrounded by, a wide assortment of animals. Dozens of pets, some dressed for the occasion, lined the curbs with their owners. Horses clopped on the pavement in the parade, and ponies gave rides in a parking lot, while chickens, ducks, goats, sheep and alpacas patiently accepted the prodding and petting of children in the petting zoo.

There were even cows and camels, which turned out to be people in disguise, walking the length of the parade.