Wrightsville Beach begins plan for annual NC Holiday Flotilla

With Halloween behind us, folks are getting ready for the next set of holiday celebrations. In Wrightsville Beach, that means the annual North Carolina Holiday Flotilla. The annual light-adorned boat parade hits the Intracoastal Waterway the Saturday after Thanksgiving. At a luncheon Monday, organizers said the event is more than just the boats, though. Mayor Stephen Whalen said the more than 50,000 visitors is a boon for the area. "It's good for Wrightsville Beach. It's good for our economy. We get a lot of people that stay in the hotels and the motels over that two or three day period,” said Mayor Whalen. “They visit the restaurants, so I just think it's good for everybody." The festivities start with a 5k run and walk November 14th. Thanksgiving weekend there's a tree lighting and visit from Santa ahead of the flotilla itself.