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Philadelphia has the oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade in the U.S. The first parade was in 1920 (Macy's TD Parade in NYC didn't start until 1924) and was sponsored by Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia. The parade here is still going strong with celebrities, marching bands, dance groups, massive floats, giant balloons and Santa Claus. The parade route is 1.4-miles along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Parade is televised.
New Year's Day in Philly features the Mummer's Parade which is considered to be the oldest folk festival in the U.S. It dates from the late 1700s in Philadelphia with the first official parade here on New Year's Day 1901. This Parade is huge--with 20,000 participants marching three miles down Broad Street in front of thousands of spectators. Of the Parade's four Divisions, most popular is probably the String Bands. The parade lasts from early in the morning until after dark and many of the costumes and floats are elaborate and spectacular. Cash prizes are awarded and the Parade is televised.
Chicago has a really big Thanksgiving Day parade, right down State Street. It attracts participants from far outside Chicago. It's also televised locally.
Houston has a Thanksgiving Day Parade. Luckily, the local CBS affiliate covers this over the national boot-leg feed of the Macy's parade on the network. Why CBS doesn't cover another parade in another city (like Chicago, Philadelphia, or Houston) instead is beyond me!
Houston has a Thanksgiving Day Parade. Luckily, the local CBS affiliate covers this over the national boot-leg feed of the Macy's parade on the network. Why CBS doesn't cover another parade in another city (like Chicago, Philadelphia, or Houston) instead is beyond me!
The Philly parade runs on ABC and few affiliates but not nationally on ABC
I think NBC runs the NYC parade which in some ways is ironic as NBC is a Comcast company HQ'd in Philly
I was in Austin TX one Thanksgiving weekend and there was a "Blue Santa" parade -- I think there is one in San Antonio, too. What is that about? It was a cool parade.
New York City, Chicago, and Boston have three largest St. Patrick's Day parades in the country.
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