2023 Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade: What You Need To Know

PHILADELPHIA — The nation's oldest Thanksgiving Day parade is back again in 2023 and this year's event promises tons of guests, music, floats, and more.

The 6ABC Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia will begin with a pre-show at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 23. The parade itself will start at 9 a.m.

All parade fun will air on 6ABC Action News, with viewer favorites like Cecily Tynan and Rick Williams hosting the broadcast. Allentown native and TV personality Carson Kressley will also be participating in this year's broadcast.

Special guests include Ryan Seacrest, Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Jordan Mailata, The Commodores, Joey Graziade, Ashlee Keating, the cast of Dancing with the Stars, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, The Village People, and many more.

Local talent set to participate includes The Fancy Brigade Mummers Association, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Felicia Punzo, and the Eagles Cheerleaders, Drumline & Pep Band.

For floats and balloons, viewers and parade attendees will see Horton the Elephant, the Bountiful Harvest float, the Bumble, My Little Pony, Philadelphia's Freedom float, Strawberry Shortcake, Smurfette, Under the Sea float, and, of course, Santa Claus.

The Parade Zone is coming back to the Eakins Oval this year, too. It will feature giveaways, family activities, treats, free coffee samples, ice carving, a prize wheel, the Boy Scouts canned food drive, and more.

Viewers and attendees are invited to share their favorite parade moments on social media with the hashtag "#6abcTDP."

A full list of marching bands, special units, performing arts groups, and more is featured below.

This year, those who watch the parade on Action News will have chances to win Dunkin' coffee for a year or a Dunkin' breakfast for 10 people. Simply watch the parade broadcast from 9 a.m. to noon to catch "secret phrases" that can be entered online here for chances to win the prizes.

And with the parade comes road closures and parking restrictions.

The parade will head from 20th and JFK Boulevard to 16th Street, then to the Ben Franklin Parkway. The parade turns left on the Parkway to the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Metered Street parking is free on Thanksgiving Day. However, No Parking Rules will remain in effect.

The following road closures are planned for the parade starting Thursday, Nov. 23:

• Midnight to noon - 20th street between JFK Blvd and Market Street
• 2 a.m. to 11 a.m. - 20th Street between Ben Franklin Parkway and Race Street
• 5 a.m. to noon - 20th Street between JFK Blvd and Arch Street
• 6 a.m. to noon - 20th Street between Market Street & the Ben Franklin Parkway
• 8 a.m. - Full Parade Route
  • JFK Boulevard – 30th St. TO 16th St.
  • 20th St. from Market to Ben Franklin Parkway
  • 16th St from JFL Blvd to Ben Franklin Parkway
  • Ben Franklin Parkway to Art Museum

Marching Bands

• Truman High School Patriot Band
• Pendleton Heights Marcing Arabians
• Pennsbury High School Marching Band
• Kingsway Regional Marching Band
• Gadsden City High School Marching Titans
• Coffman High School Band
• Jerome High School
• Scioto High School Band

Performing Arts Groups

• Betsy Daily School of Performing Arts
• Cab Calloway School of The Arts
• Camden Prep High School Cheerleaders
• Dance4Life School of The Arts And Training Institute
• Donna’s Dance Works
• Eleone Dance Theatre
• Garnet Valley High School Dance Team
• Great on Skates
• Harmony Show Choir
• Jane Baron’s Academy of Dance
• KMC Dance
• Mulford Dance Studio
• Pennsport School of Dance
• Power Surge Performing Arts Company
• Rancocas Valley Dance Team
• SK8VIBEZ
• The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts
• The Quinn Center for Performing Arts
• Time to Leap
• Upper Darby Shooting Stars
• West Chester University Flag Team

Special Units

• E- Carriage
• Philadelphia School of Circus Arts
• Office of He Philadelphia Sheriff
• Philabundance
• Archbishop Alter Lancerettes
• Hawthorne Caballeros Honor Guard
• Enon Trinity Drill Team and Drum Corps
• Eagles Cheerleaders, Drumline, and Pep Band
• United States Postal Service
• Varsity Spirit All American
• Kangaroo Kids
• Soul Riders Auto Club
• West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad
• Off Road Anthem
• Cradle Of Liberty Council, Boy Scouts
• Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Cheerleading
• The Wheelmen
• Santa
• Mrs. Claus
• 1949 Willys Overland Jeepster

2023 Singin’ & Dancin’ On The Parkway

• Avalon, Stone Harbor, and Upper Middle School – Oceanview, NJ
• Avon Grove Intermediate School – West Grove, PA
• Bella Ballerina Dance Academy – Philadelphia, PA
• Bethesda Conservatory of Dance – Bethesda, MD
• Bowman Dance Company & School – Norristown, PA
• Burlington Township Middle School – Burlington, NJ
• Creative Edge Center for the Arts – North Wales, PA
• Danceworks Dance Studio – New Castle, DE
• Eisenhower Middle School – Norristown, PA
• Forwood Elementary School – Wilmington, DE
• Free To Be Performing Arts Center – Philadelphia, PA
• Glen Landing Middle School – Blackwood, NJ
• Hawthorne Park Elementary School – Willingboro, NJ
• LePhoenix Dance Institute – Philadelphia, PA
• Llevate Dance – Chester, PA
• Long Branch Middle School – Long Branch, NJ
• Kathy's Dancenter – Deptford, NJ
• Mannington Elementary School – Mannington, PA
• MAST Community Charter School – Philadelphia, PA
• Monarch Dance Academy – Philadelphia, PA
• On Pointe Dance Center – Blackwood, NJ
• Paxon Hollow Middle School – Broomall, PA
• Penns Grove High School – Carneys Point, NJ
• Reckless Kickz – Philadelphia, PA
• Spotlight Kidz – Pottsville, PA
• Stepping Stone Dance Studio – Bristol, PA
• Strength & Grace Dance Academy – Southampton, PA
• St. Ann School – Wilmington, DE
• The Philadelphia Charter School for Arts & Sciences – Philadelphia, PA
• The Tunbridge School – Baltimore, MD
• Tkapri's Dance Studio – Philadelphia, PA
• Touch of Class Dance Studio – Broomall, PA
• West Chester Dance Works – West Chester, PA
• Woodbury Junior-Senior High School – Woodbury, NJ

FanTAPulous

• Amped to Dance – Maple Shade, NJ
• Christine's Studio of Dance – Monroeville, NJ
• Dance Dynamics – Philadelphia, PA
• Dance HDC – Landenberg, PA
• Dee Dots Dance Academy – Woolwich, NJ
• Diana Alexis Dance Academy – Haddonfield, NJ
• Exquisite Techniques – Philadelphia, PA
• Free To Be Performing Arts Center – Philadelphia, PA
• Halliday Dance – Pennsauken, NJ
• Hershey School of Dance and Arts – Hummelstown, PA
• KMC Dance – Oxford, NJ
• On Pointe Dance Center – Blackwood, NJ
• Orlandi Dance Center – Havertown, PA
• Pottstown Dance Theatre – Pottstown, PA
• Time to Leap – West Chester, PA

Broadcast partners outside Philadelphia that will be showing the parade are:

• WATM – Johnstown, Pa. (ABC23)
• WBOC – Salisbury, Md. (FOX21)
• WDCW – Washington, D.C. (CW50)
• WJET – Erie, Pa. (JET24)
• WRTV – Indianapolis, Ind. (ABC6 - RTV6)
• WSWB - Wilkes Barre/Scranton, PA - CW (CW38)
• WTVD – Raleigh/Durham, N.C. (ABC11)
• WORA – Puerto Rico (WORA5 - ABC)
• WZVN – Fort Myers, Fla. (ABC7)