Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade: What You Need To Know

PHILADELPHIA — The time has come for the annual 6ABC Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia.

The annual parade will step off at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

Spectators are invited to watch the parade in person this year, but for those who may be prepping their meals, want to avoid the cold, or can't make it to the city, the parade will air on 6abc.

Numerous marchers will participate in the holiday tradition.

A full list of marchers is below.

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.

The Eakins Oval will feature Parade Zone featuring food, giveaways, and fun for the whole family.

The Dunkin’ Refuel Zone will have free coffee samples, giveaways, and a Dunkin’ Photo Booth.

RAM Trucks will be showing and offering tours of the latest models and will have prize wheel.

There will also be local food trucks in the Parade Zone.

Additionally, the Boy Scouts will be collecting canned foods

Marchers will step off at 20th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, then head eastbound on John F. Kennedy Boulevard to 16th Street.

Next, the route goes northbound on 16th Street to Benjamin Franklin Parkway, then westbound on Benjamin Franklin Parkway (Inner Lanes) to Eakins Oval

Marchers will travel around Eakins Oval to Kelly Drive and then disperse via Kelly Drive and Spring Garden Extension.

Below are participating groups in the parade:

Marching bands

• Clearview High School Marching Band, New Jersey
• Decatur Central High School Marching Band, Indiana
• East Hills Middle School Marching Band,, Pennsylvania
• Jasper High School Marching Wildcats Indiana
• Kingsway Regional High School Band, New Jersey
• Mt. Vernon High School Marching Band, Indiana
• Parkland High School Band, Pennsylvania
• Pennsbury High School Marching Band, Pennsylvania
• Pocono Mountain East High School Marching Band, Pennsylvania
• Reynoldsburg Raider Marching Band, Ohio
• Salem High School Marching Band, Virginia
• Whiteland Community High School Marching Band, Indiana

Special performances groups

• Betsy Daily School Of Performing Arts Dancers, Pennsylvania
• Dance 4 Life Dancers, Delaware
• Donna’s Dance Works, Pennsylvania
• Garnet Valley High School Dance Team, Pennsylvania
• Jane Baron’s Academy Of Dance, Pennsylvania
• KMC Dance, Pennsylvania
• Mainstage Center For The Arts Harmony Show Choir, New Jersey
• Mulford Dance Studio,, New Jersey
• Pennsylvania School For The Deaf Pennsylvania
• Philadelphia High School For The Creative And Performing Arts, Pennsylvania
• Power Surge Performing Arts Centre, Pennsylvania
• Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Cheerleaders, Pennsylvania
• Rancocas Valley Dance Team,, New Jersey
• Summer Stage Shooting Stars Pennsylvania
• The Quinn Center For The Performing Arts, Pennsylvania
• West Chester University Color Guard Ensemble, Pennsylvania

Special units

• 3 Sisters Memorial Fire Truck, Maryland
• 1949 Willy Overland Jeepster Car, New Jersey
• 1970’s Oldsmobile, Pennsylvania
• County Corvette Club, Pennsylvania
• Enon Trinity Drill Team And Drum Corps, Pennsylvania
• Garrison Carida And Ghost Base, Pennsylvania
• Hawthorne Caballeros Honor Guard, New Jersey
• Kangaroo Kids Jump Rope Team, Maryland
• Philadelphia Fire Department, Pennsylvania
• Philadelphia School Of Circus Arts, Pennsylvania
• Soul Riders Auto Club, Delaware
• The Wheelmen Antique Bicycles, Pennsylvania
• US Postal Service, Pennsylvania
• Varsity Spirit Cheerleaders From Across The Nation
• Warrior Watch Riders, Pennsylvania
• Woodside One Wheelers Unicycle Team, Maine

Youth choirs

• Burlington Township Middle School Burlington
• Glen Landing Middle School Blackwood
• Carl W. Goetz Middle School Jackson
• Woodbury Junior-Senior High School Woodbury
• Avon Grove Intermediate School West Grove
• West Chester East High School West Chester
• Eisenhower Middle School Norristown
• The Tunbridge School Baltimore
• Hawthorne Park Elementary School Willingboro
• AIM Academy Conshohocken
• Avon Grove Charter School West Grove
• Mannington Elementary School Salem
• Marple Newtown High School Newtown Square
• St. Ann School Wilmington
• MAST Community Charter School Philadelphia

Danc'n on the Parkway

• Bowman Dance Company & School, Norristown
• Monarch Dance Academy, Philadelphia
• Kathy's Dancenter, Marlton
• BC Discoveries Dance & Theater Arts Co., Newtown
• Stepping Stone Dance Studio, Bristol
• Dance HDC, Landenberg
• Reckless Kickz, Philadelphia
• Miss Karen's Dance Studio, Easton
• Phlex Phitness, Drexel Hill
• CC's School of Dance Arts, Lansdowne
• LLEVATE DANCE STUDIO, Chester
• Free to Be Performing Arts Center, Philadelphia
• GeTek'Nek School of Performing Arts, Philadelphia
• Divine Inspirations Center for the Arts, Woodbridge
• T. Kapri Dance Studio, Philadelphia
• Conservatory for Arts & Music of Philadelphia, Philadelphia
• Strength & Grace Dance Academy, Southampton
• Dance It Up with Music, Bordentown
• Dare 2 Dance, Camden
• Love2Dance Academy, Sicklerville
• ME Models & ME Dolls LLC, Philadelphia
• The Philadelphia Charter School for Arts & Sciences, Philadelphia
• Workshop in Dance, Yardley

FanTAPulous

• Premier Dance Academy, LLC, Lansdowne
• Donna's Dance Work, Feasterville
• Exquisite Techniques, Philadelphia
• Diana Alexis Dance Academy, Haddonfield
• Dance HDC, Landenberg
• KMC Dance, Oxford
• Hershey School of Dance & Art, Hummelstown
• Free to Be Performing Arts Center, Philadelphia
• Dee Dots Dance Academy, Woolwich
• Pottstown Dance Theatre, Douglassville
• First Class Dance Academy, Ortley
• Christine's Studio of Dance, Monroeville
• Dance Dynamics, Philadelphia
• On Pointe Dance Center, Blackwood
• Ms. Doreen's Fabulous Feet, Metuchen
• Step By Step Dance Expressions, Horsham

Below are road closures and parking restrictions for the parade:

Monday

• 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. – Eakins Oval between Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive closed for street rehearsals.

Tuesday

• 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. – Eakins Oval between Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive closed for street rehearsals.

Wednesday

• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Eakins Oval between Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive closed for street rehearsals.
• 6:30 p.m. – Eakins Oval closed for rehearsals and site build until conclusion of parade on Thursday.
• 7 p.m. – Inbound lanes of JFK Boulevard, from 20th Street to 30th Street, will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade on Thursday.
• 8 p.m. – Outbound lanes of JFK Boulevard, from 20th Street to 30th Street Station, will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade on Thursday.

Thursday

• 12 a.m. – JFK Boulevard, from 30th Street to 16th Street, will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.
• 2 a.m. – 20th Street, from Ben Franklin Parkway to Race Street, will be closed to vehicular traffic until 11 a.m.
• 2 a.m. – Market Street, from 19th Street to 20th Street, will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.
• 5 a.m. – 20th Street from JFK Boulevard to Arch Street will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.
• 6 a.m. – 20th Street, from Market Street to Ben Franklin Parkway, will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.
• 6 a.m. – Market Street, from 19th Street to 22nd Street, will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.
• 7 a.m. – Kelly Drive, from Sedgley Drive to Eakins Oval, will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.
• 7:30 a.m. – Parade route closed to vehicular traffic.

Roads will be opened as they are serviced and cleaned. All event-related road closures will be lifted no later than 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Traffic delays can be expected during the event. Motorists are advised to avoid the area by using alternate routes and allow for extra driving time in areas near the event.

Parking Restrictions

"Temporary No Parking" signs will be posted in connection with the closures listed above beginning on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

A detailed list of those streets can be found below.

Vehicles parked in these locations during posted hours will be relocated.

If you believe your car has been relocated, call the police district of the area where your car was parked.

• JFK Blvd. from 19th Street to 30th Street (both sides)
• 20th Street from Market Street to Ben Franklin Parkway (both sides)
• Arch street from 19th Street and 22nd Street (both sides)
• Race Street from 16th Street and 17th Street (both sides)
• 17th Street from Vine Street to Race Street (both sides)
• Vine Street from 15th Street to 17th Street (eastbound lanes)
• Market Street from 19th Street to 22nd Street (both sides)
• Paschall Avenue from 62nd Street to 63rd Street (both sides)

Additional road closures and parking restrictions may be necessary in the vicinity of the event venue as dictated by conditions.

Residents and visitors should always obey posted signs and instructions from the Philadelphia Police Department.

SEPTA

SEPTA will have detours on some routes due to the parade.

Detours: Wednesday

SEPTA Bus Routes 17, 31, 33, 38, 44, 49, 124, and 125 and MFO will be detoured from their normal routes beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, November 23 through approximately 8 a.m. Thursday, November 24.

Detours: Thursday

SEPTA Bus Routes 2, 7, 17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 43, 44, 48, 49, 124, and 125 and MFO will be detoured from their normal routes beginning at 8 a.m. on Thursday, November 24 through approximately 2 p.m.

Detours will be posted, and specific route changes are available on the System Status Page online here.

Prohibited Items

For the safety of spectators, participants, and staff, the following items are prohibited along the parade route:

• Weapons and contraband of any kind (regardless of permitting). This will include firearms, knives, pepper spray, etc. NOTE: Right-to-Carry permits will not be honored and weapons will not be permitted into the venue.
• Fireworks (includes flammable liquids, fuels or explosives)
• Alcohol
• Illegal drugs or illicit substances of any kind
• Gas grills
• Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS/Drones)