Celebrate Mardi Gras With Mummers In Manayunk This Weekend

Get ready, Manayunk: the Mummers are coming Saturday for the Mummers Mardi Gras Parade.

Beginning at 11 a.m., Manayunk will be flooded with Mummers for the third year in a row thanks to ADVENT and the Manayunk Development Corporation.

Sixteen Mummers string bands will marching on Main Street for the parade.

The event will treat attendees to numerous performances by the most prominent string bands parading down Main Street from Shurs Lane to Green Lane, including Quaker City String Band, Fralinger String Band, South Philadelphia String Band, Woodland String Band, and more.

The parade order is as follows and the bands will be playing at the locations listed with them:

• Broomall String Band– Castle Roxx, 105 Shurs Lane
• Ferko String Band – Mad River Bar and Grill, 4100 Main St.
• Pennsport String Band – Mad River Bar and Grill, 4100 Main St.
• Greater Kensington String Band – Bourbon Blue, 2 Rector St.
• Avalon String Band – Smokin' John's, 4258 Main St.
• Greater Overbrook String Band – Bourbon Blue, 2 Rector St.
• Uptown String Band – Mad River Bar and Grill, 4100 Main St.
• Duffy String Band – Mad River Bar and Grill, 4100 Main St.
• Polish American String Band – Mad River Bar and Grill, 4100 Main St.
• South Philadelphia String Band – Mad River Bar and Grill, 4100 Main St.
• Woodland String Band – Mad River Bar and Grill, 4100 Main St.
• Durning String Band – Mad River Bar and Grill, 4100 Main St.
• Quaker City String Band – JD McGillicuddy's, 111 Cotton St.
• Fralinger String Band – Mad River Bar and Grill, 4100 Main St.
• Hegeman String Band – Mad River Bar and Grill, 4100 Main St.
• Aqua String Band – Craft, 4141 Main St.

Many Manayunk businesses will play host to the bands during the day, with the Mummers headquarters located at Mad River Manayunk.

All 16 string bands will stick around to entertain attendees while they peruse food trucks and watch a live ice sculpture demonstration.

“When I was asked if Manayunk was interested in hosting the Mummers string bands for a parade three years ago, I leapt at the chance,” Jane Litpon, Manayunk Development Corporation executive director, said. “I had hoped that we could introduce the Mummers to a new generation of Philadelphians, and for generations to come. By bringing the Mummers to Northwest Philadelphia, we’ve created a chance for folks to come out and see the string bands in all of their finery.”

The public can help by donating to the “I AM A MUMMER” campaign where all proceeds benefit the Mummers. Just look for the “bucket brigade" at the event to make a donation.

"I’m proud to have ADVENT working each year with the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association (PMSBA) to raise much needed funding for costumes and mounting expenses," ADVENT President Joe DeCandido said. "These bands are a very worthy cause, and it has become a labor of love since 2013 when we conceptualized and presented the idea to the PMSBA board."

The parades Grand Marshals are Congressman Bob Brady; Congressman Dwight Evans; Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr.; Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association President, Tom Loomis; Decandido and Lipton.

Image via Andy Atzert, Flickr Commons