20th Anniversary Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade Date Set

From Montgomery Co.: The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade, televised live from downtown Silver Spring, celebrates its 20-year anniversary on November 18, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The only Thanksgiving parade in the area, it features over 100 marching units, including marching bands, musical groups, floats, and inflatables. Stepping off at 10am, the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade route goes from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring, south on Georgia Avenue to Silver Spring Avenue.

The parade began in 1997, when Silver Spring was experiencing its revitalization. Susan Hoffmann, then marketing manager of the Silver Spring Regional Center, suggested a holiday parade to engage the community and enliven activity in downtown Silver Spring. It is a tradition that still goes strong, attracting approximately 10,000 people each year.

“Ike Leggett and Montgomery County have always been very supportive of events which build community and help boost the economic impact of our County,” said Hoffmann, now marketing manager for Montgomery County Recreation.

ABC7 Meteorologist Brian Van de Graaff will return to emcee the parade. Parade units will consist of college and high school marching band, glittering Thanksgiving and Christmas floats, theatrical performances, ethnic musical groups, the 12-foot inflatable turkey parade logo, a 12-foot penguin, motorcycles and horse-mounted police, the Montgomery County Recreation “T-Recs” 12-foot dinosaur, beauty queens, fire engines, antique cars, performing dogs and rescue animal groups, clowns and so much more. As always, the Parade will culminate with Santa’s float playing holiday music and featuring the smiling, rosy-cheeked elf, tossing candy canes to the eager crowd.

The parade will be held rain or shine. For more information, call 240.777.0311 or visit www.silverspringdowntown.com.

Holiday Family Photos and Selfies

This year on Veterans Plaza, the parade offers a place to take your family holiday photos. Right next to the ice rink, you can take your photo with inflatable turkeys, penguins, “Frozen’s” Elsa, or with Hanukkah or Christmas décor. All parade selfies marked with the hashtag #MoCoThanksParade will be broadcast on the jumbotron at Ellsworth and Fenton along the parade route.

Volunteering

The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is always looking for volunteers to be elves and pilgrims on floats, reindeer and penguins in the parade. The parade needs volunteers, aged 13 and older, to dress up in costume, to serve as unit leaders, and to be inflatable and balloon handlers. The hours for volunteers are from 7:30am to 1:30pm (volunteers need to be present the entire six hours) on Saturday, November 18. Volunteers can register on the parade site at: www.SilverSpringDowntown.com.

Parking Information

The northbound lanes of Georgia Avenue, from East-West Highway to Colesville Road will close at 7am and re-open at the conclusion of the parade, about 1pm.

Free parking will be available in the public garages including the Wayne Avenue Garage, the Sligo Avenue Garage, the Cameron Street Garage, and the Bonifant Street Garage next to Metro. The Ellsworth Town Center garage is CLOSED that day. Parade goers are encouraged to take the Metro/Red Line to the Silver Spring station, just west of Georgia Avenue, across from the Discovery building.

The Town Center public parking garage at Ellsworth Drive will close at 2 a.m. Saturday morning to accommodate the parade.

Broadcast live at 10am on NewsChannel 8, the parade will be aired again several times on Thanksgiving Day.

Image Courtesy of Montgomery Co.