All About the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade

The Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade is a time-honored position beloved by residents and visitors alike. It is the oldest Thanksgiving parade in the nation – suck on that, Macy’s! – and has become a Turkey Day tradition throughout the region. This will be the 98th year for the celebration, which started back in 1920 with sponsorship by Gimbel’s Department Store. Today, Dunkin’ Donuts keeps the parade running, much like its coffee does the attendees.

The Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade is coming!

For starters, the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade starts at 8:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, November 23. It will be televised locally. The parade route, which is 1.4 miles long, begins at 20th Street and JFK Boulevard in Philadelphia. It then marches towards 16th Street, where it turns left before turning left again onto Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The parade will then follow the Parkway all the way to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where it ends.

If you want to see the parade in person, a prime viewing spot is the A.C. Moore Arts and Crafts Parade Zone in Elkins Circle. You can get there early to secure a good spot and then have a blast at the festival held there. There will be face painting and balloon sculptors, free Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, a photo booth, and performances from the SoulPhilly Dance Band. Logan Circle is another great spot for viewing, especially when elevated on the steps of the Franklin Institute. The Rocky Steps are another obvious choice, along with the (newly reopened) LOVE Park.

What will you see at the parade? There will be floats for one, including Clifford, Strawberry Shortcake, Daniel Tiger, Buddy Dinosaur, Penguins of Madagascar, Fraggle Rock, the Very Hungry Caterpillar, Bugs Bunny and more. These are sure to delight the kids.

According to Penn Live, there will be a lot of special guests: ““Good Morning America” anchor Lara Spencer will be at the parade. “American Idol” fans will see Melinda Doolittle, Ruben Studdard, Justin Guarini will also be at the parade, as will former contestants from “The Voice” Josh Gallagher and Billy Gilman. Other musical guests include Ty Herndon, Kwame and Well Strung. You’ll also be able to see casts from various theatrical productions, including Disney’s “Aladdin,” “Annie,” “The Color Purple,” “Les Miserables” and “Waitress.”