KANNAPOLIS – City officials are advising guests to arrive early for the 79th annual Cannon Pharmacy Christmas Parade on Saturday.

The parade starts at 6 p.m. and begins at the intersection of Main Street and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. It concludes at Main Street and Laureate Way.

The grand marshal of this year’s parade is Martha Earnhardt, a Kannapolis native well known as the matriarch of the racing family. She worked alongside her husband, Ralph, as they built his career in racing.

Her love of racing continued as her son, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and grandson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., established themselves as racing royalty.

“We were just trying to find someone who would be a good ambassador of the city of Kannapolis,” said Roger Haas, a city councilman.

Earnhardt is active in her church and community. Recent problems with her knees have prevented her from attending the parade, though she said she used to take her children often.

“I enjoyed watching the floats and seeing all the different people that were involved,” she said.

Earnhardt will ride near the beginning of the parade, directly in front of her son’s first championship 1980 Monte Carlo. She’s already planning to dress warmly in a sweater and cape.

The full line-up is as follows:

• Kannapolis Fire Department Honor Guard
• Kannapolis Police Department
• Officer of the Year for the Kannapolis Fire Departme­nt
• Firefighter of the Year for the Kannapolis Fire Departme­nt
• Kannapolis Police Department’s Crime Stoppers
• Concord Police Department
• C. State Highway Patrol
• Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office
• Rowan County Sheriff’s Office
• Cabarrus County EMS
• Jansal Saddlebreds
• Grand marshal, Martha Earnhardt
• Dale Earnhardt’s First Championship 1980 Monte Carlo
• Pat Mninski ‐ 2004 Monte Carlo Earnhardt Hall of Fame Edition
• Cannon Pharmacy
• Cabarrus County Government
• City Of Kannapolis City Council
• Pat Mninski ‐ Harley Quinn Car
• Let’s Dance Studio
• Cabarrus Vocational Opportunities
• North Carolina Research Campus‐NCRC
• C. Southern Regal State Court
• Cabarrus County Active Living And Parks
• Kinsleigh Troutman ‐ Toddler Miss North Carolina
• Miss Cabarrus County Youth Queens
• Girl Scouts Hornets Nest Council Trail Blazers Dis
• South Rowan High School
• CHS-NorthEast – Jeep belonging to Whit Whitaker
• CHS-NorthEast – Ambulance belonging to Tony Corriher
• CHS-NorthEast – Car use donated by Classic Chevrolet of Kannapolis
• CHS-NorthEast – Float
• Lady’s Funeral Home
• Cart Works Golf Carts Sales and Service
• Living Water Church of God
• Center Stage Dance Company
• Heavenly Child Party Entertainment
• Cub Scout Pack 87
• Northwest Cabarrus High School Queen
• Northwest Cabarrus High School Cheerleaders
• Northwest Cabarrus High School Band
• Autoville
• State Employees Credit Union
• Carl Ford, NC General Assembly
• Kannapolis Fire Department – Explorer Post #01
• Kannapolis Pediatric Dentistry
• C. Cinderella Pageant
• Wil-Mar Park Baptist Church
• Ci Ci’s Pizza
• Kannapolis Intimidators
• Rider Transit
• Enochville Fire Department
• Triple Threat Dance Studio
• Rowan County Republican Party
• Duke Clinical & Translational Science
• Miss Piedmont Scholarship
• North Rowan High School
• W. Carver Alumni Association
• Memorial UMC
• Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt
• Cub Scout Pack 10
• Living Word Church
• Modern Hyundai Of Concord
• The Refuge Church
• Sisters & Brothers Of Unity
• Novant Health
• Cub Scout Pack 254
• Boy Scout Troop 254
• Concord High School Band
• Cornerstone Church
• DARE School Resource Officers Kannapolis & Cabarrus Sheriff Department
• KSD Dancers
• Harvest Community Church
• Faith Baptist Church
• Precision Maintenance Towing
• Tiki Island Pool Express
• Shadybrook Baptist Church
• Rimer Fire Department
• Preschool Of The Arts
• Dixie Youth Baseball League
• Cabarrus Shrine Club
• United House of Prayer for All People Band
• Actors Of Tomorrow
• Miss Queen City
• Prestige Live DJ
• Cabarrus County CVB
• BoogerWoods For Cystic Fibrosis
• Pizza Hut
• Cabarrus Pediatric Dentistry
• Jackson Park United Methodist Church
• West Charlotte High School Band
• Miss Harrisburg 4th Of July
• NC Music Hall Of Fame
• Radiant Princess Dance Team
• Barrett Industrial Corporation
• D&M Wrecker Service
• Jay Deming Racing
• Charlotte Motor Speedway
• ReMax Intelligence
• Price Pharmacy Delivery Car
• Beaver Boys Lawn Care
• Jesse Carson High School
• Forbidden Forest Horror Trail
• New Life Church Of Jesus Christ
• Carolina Deliverance Evangelistic
• Champions In Motion
• The Sweetest Thing
• Cabarrus Health Alliance
• Rescue Lock and Key
• Rowan Cabarrus Community College
• Kannapolis Middle Cheerleaders
• A.L. Brown Wonder Mobile
• A.L. Brown High School Bell
• A.L. Brown Homecoming Queen
• A.L. Brown High School Miss A.L. Brown
• A.L. Brown Skills/ Carpentry & Engineering
• A.L. Brown Cheerleaders
• A.L. Brown Marching Band
• Faith Riders
• Santa Claus