Thanksgiving Parade: Pennsbury Marching Band Making 39th Appearance

FALLSINGTON, PA — The annual 6ABC Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia is a long-standing tradition.

So is one of the marching band that will be part of Thursday's festivities.

The Pennsbury High School Marching Band —affectionately known as the Long Orange Line —will make its 39th appearance in the parade, school officials said.

Jennifer Neill, the district's supervisor of public relations, said the drum line recently participated in a recording session for the parade and will be featured as part of the parade's opening production number.

The parade is just one of the many performances that has the marching band performing around the nation and the globe for that matter.

Neill said the marching band has performed on five continents, countless parades, and almost all of the Disney Parks.

"Whether entertaining the crowd at a Pennsbury football game, marching in local parades, or performing in another country, this outstanding group of students, under the direction of Chris Bygott and his dedicated staff, is a strong point of pride for the district," she said.

The band is only one of 12 marching bands in the parade. There are only three from Pennsylvania.

The parade kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

Special guests include the Blue Man Group, "Abbot Elementary" stars Sheryl Lee Ralph and Quinta Brunson, C+C Music Factory, Smokey Robinson, Billy Flanigan, the cast of "TINA - The Tina Turner Musical," Debbie Gibson, and the cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella," Jeopardy champion Ryan Long, Eagles mascot Swoop, 76ers mascot Franklin to Dog, Union mascot Phang, and many more.

As for floats and balloons, parade viewers will see Bugs Bunny, Mr. Potato Head, the Bumble Abominable Snowman, the Sounds of Music Float, the Bountiful Harvest Float, Smurfette, Peppa Pig, the Iconic Philadelphia Float, Thomas the Train, and of course Santa, among others.