For many, gathering around the television to watch Macy’s Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade is a time-honored holiday tradition. Macy’s procession is undeniably the most well-known pick to watch yearly, largely popularized and publicized by such films as Miracle on 34th Street. Its location in overly hyperbolized New York City also helps to score it constant and seemingly eternal fame.
What if I told you, though, that there is another parade worth praising—one that not only predates Macy’s main attraction by four years but is based in a far more convenient range for folks throughout the Mid-Atlantic? I am referring to none other than the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade. A mainstay since 1920, Philly’s Thanksgiving Day Parade currently ranks as the oldest consecutively occurring annual Thanksgiving Day procession of its kind in the entire nation. That’s why, for this Flashback Friday Feature, I’m detailing the parade’s extensive history and milestone highlights as an ongoing mainstream mainstay.
Parade History and Developments
The annual Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade was originally established by the Gimbel Brothers Department store. Ellis Gimbel envisioned it as an event to cater to the enjoyment of Philadelphia locals, particularly children and holiday shoppers. It was on Thanksgiving of 1920 when the parade premiered, featuring over 50 costumed store employees, floats, balloons, and even Santa Claus arriving on the scene to make a grand entrance. The feat of his arrival on the eighth floor of Gimbel’s store directly (the store’s toy department) was accomplished by climbing a ladder from a Philadelphia Fire Department truck.
The parade soon garnered praise and acclaim as a community tradition every Thanksgiving. It became so popular that operations were still carried out even after the Gimbel’s chain of department stores shuttered in 1986. The ABC affiliate of Philadelphia, WPVI (6ABC), stepped in to cosponsor the procession, along with Boscov’s—a family-owned department store chain based out of Reading. That was when the parade was officially renamed “the 6abc Boscov’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”.
Under this new direction, features and included attractions continued to grow. Given ABC’s ownership by the Walt Disney Company, more character appearances, innovative floats, and additional professional musical acts/performances were added, enhancing the presentation further.
When Boscov’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2008, they made the necessary, albeit, difficult decision to forego further sponsorship of the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade. That was when IKEA served as the new short-term cosponsor up until 2010.
The announcement came in June of 2011 that Dunkin’ Donuts would be taking over as the parade’s cosponsor, partnering with ABC. They remain in this position to this day, operating under the current moniker “6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade.”
The Procession Route
The parade follows a 1.4-mile course through Downtown Philadelphia. It begins at the intersection of 20th Street and JFK Boulevard, turning left onto 16th Street before gearing another left onto Ben Franklin Parkway.
All sections of the existing parade route are free for spectators to enjoy. The exception is a limited number of grandstand seats in the telecast area, reserved solely for use by sponsors and VIPs.
How to Watch
As previously stated, the parade’s home base in the heart of Philly makes attending in person a reality for so many folks hailing from surrounding Mid-Atlantic states. But nothing beats the convenience of watching the parade from the comfort of home. In that case, you’ll be happy to know that it has been broadcast on television every year since 1966.
If you’re a local, you can watch a live airing of the events on Channel 6 ABC. Also, note that the parade is syndicated across many other networks and sources. You can also stream it via live webcast on 6abc.com.
The Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade will kick off its 105th year this Thursday, November 28, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Learn more by visiting the website.