A balloon and marching band make its way down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway during a Thanksgiving day parade in Philadelphia, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The oldest Thanksgiving parade in America is back in Philadelphia for 2024.
With the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade comes plenty of entertainment on the Ben Franklin Parkway, but also road closures, detours and parking restrictions. (Even in the days before).
Here's your guide if you plan on heading to the parade or just avoiding the whole thing:
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
What time does the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade start?
The marchers and floats in the 105th edition of the Thanksgiving Day Parade set off at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, 2024. The parade will end by noon. You may want to do Thanksgiving dinner instead of lunch to ensure you can watch the parade in person and still be home in time to roast your turkey.
What's the parade route?
The parade begins at 20th and JFK Boulevard in Center City Philadelphia. The route continues eastbound on JFK to 16th Street then northbound to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The route then continues westbound in the inner lanes of the Parkway and then around Eakins Oval to Kelly Drive where it will end at the Spring Garden Extension.
What roads will be closed and for how long?
Road closures that could affect drivers trying to get into or out of Center City and the Fairmount and Spring Garden neighborhoods go into effect starting Monday night. The closures ramp up on Wednesday for parade preps.
The closures remain in place until the end of the parade unless otherwise noted, the City said in a news release.
Monday, Nov. 25, 2024
- 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. – Eakins Oval between Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive closed for street rehearsals.
Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024
- 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. – Eakins Oval between Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive closed for street rehearsals.
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024
- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Eakins Oval between Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive closed for street rehearsals.
- 4 p.m. – Inner lanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, from 21st Street to 20th Street closed for site build until the conclusion of the parade on Thursday, Nov. 28.
- 6:30 p.m. – Eakins Oval closed for rehearsals and site build until the conclusion of the parade on Thursday, Nov. 28.
- 7 p.m. – Inbound lanes of John F. Kennedy Boulevard, from 20th Street to 30th Street, will be closed to vehicular traffic until the conclusion of the parade on Thursday, Nov. 28.
- 8 p.m. – Outbound lanes of John F. Kennedy Boulevard, from 20th Street to 30th Street Station, will be closed to vehicular traffic until the conclusion of the parade on Thursday, Nov. 28.
Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024
- 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.
All roads are expected to be cleaned and reopened by 3 p.m. Thursday, the City said.
Expect traffic delays around the parade route throughout Thursday morning.
What are traffic detours?
Philadelphia police will be detouring drivers around the parade route Thursday.
To avoid the area entirely you may want to stick to the Schuylkill (Interstate 76) and Vine Street (Interstate 676) expressways and exit away from the Art Museum area.
Where will parking be restricted?
"'Temporary No Parking' signs will be posted in connection with the closures listed above beginning on Wednesday, November 27 at 6 p.m.," the City said. "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)
Watch out for additional parking restrictions and road closures in the parade vicinity, the City said.
SEPTA has special service plan to get you there, but buses will be detoured
SEPTA trains are a good option to get to and from the parade route.
SEPTA will be operating its Regional Rail, buses, trolleys and the Norristown High Speed Line on a Sunday schedule, in part to accommodate paradegoers. The special SEPTA schedule is posted on the transit agency’s website.
Bus riders need to be aware of detours in the days before the parade and on Thanksgiving:
Detours: Monday, Nov. 25
SEPTA bus routes 38 and 43 will be detoured from their normal routes beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 25 through about 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
Detours: Wednesday, Nov. 27
SEPTA bus routes 7, 17, 31, 33, 38, 43, 44, 48, 49, 124, and 125 and MFO will be detoured from their normal routes beginning at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27 through about 2 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28.
Detours: Thursday, Nov. 28
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 6 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28 through about 5 p.m.
Is the parade free to watch?
Yes.
What is the weather forecast?
Check back for the full forecast as some rain could hit the region on Thanksgiving morning.
What will you see at the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade?
The annual parade is always a fun-filled morning with a lot of family-friendly entertainment for children of all ages. It’s a great opportunity to support local talent, from school marching bands and dance troupes to Philly’s finest celebrity icons.
The arrival of Santa Clause is a highlight.
The parade also features national celebrities and musicians from around the country. Some of the highlights this year include appearances and performances by Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” Carson Kressley, house music icon CeCe Peniston, rap legends the Sugarhill Gang, Hip-hop group the Funky Bunch, the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders and even "The Grinch," himself.
What’s a good parade without floats and balloons? Expect those, too, including giant blow-up versions of a pilgrim turkey, elves, Daniel Tiger and a Smurf.
Click here for a full list of participants.
I don't feel like heading to the Parkway
Sit back and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade live from New York and the National Dog Show (which was recorded in Montgomery County) right here on NBC10 on Thanksgiving day.
