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City announces street closures for Thanksgiving parade

By FOX 29 staff
Published  November 22, 2023 4:27pm EST
Philadelphia
FOX 29 Philadelphia
article

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia is once again honoring tradition and hosting a Thanksgiving Day parade.

The oldest Thanksgiving parade in the nation will begin at 9 a.m., taking the time-honored route along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Thursday morning.

Anyone traveling through the city should avoid the parade route, as many roads along the way will be closed.

The parade begins at 20th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, heading east until 16th Street, when participants will head north on 16th to Benjamin Franklin Parkway, then continue west to Eakins Oval. At that point, the route heads onto Kelly Drive, where participants will disperse at Kelly Drive and Spring Garden Extension.

Parade Road Closures:

Wednesday:

  • 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Eakins Oval between Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive closed for street rehearsals.
  • 6:30 p.m. – Eakins Oval closed for rehearsals and site build until the conclusion of the parade on Thursday, November 23.
  • 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, November 23.
  • 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, November 23.

Thursday:

  • 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.

Parking Restrictions

"Temporary No Parking" signs will be posted in connection with the closures listed above beginning on Wednesday, November 22 at 6 p.m. 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)

Additional road closures and parking restrictions may be necessary in the vicinity of the event venue as dictated by conditions. Residents and visitors should always obey posted signs and instructions from the Philadelphia Police Department.

Public Transportation

SEPTA will be operating on a Sunday schedule throughout Thanksgiving Day. Bus detour information and updates or changes to service will be published on SEPTA’s System Status page. Customers can also use TransitView on the SEPTA app. Riders should check System Status regularly or follow @SEPTA and @SEPTA_BUS on Twitter for updates. Detour times are subject to change.

Below is a summary of SEPTA detours (from the SEPTA website) that will be in effect during the 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade. Check the SEPTA website for additional information.

Detours: Thursday, November 23

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 8 a.m. on Thursday, November 23 through approximately 2 p.m.

Detours will be posted, and specific route changes are available on the System Status Page at septa.org.

Prohibited Items

For the safety of spectators, participants, and staff, the following items are prohibited along the parade route:

  • Weapons and contraband of any kind (regardless of permitting). This will include firearms, knives, pepper spray, etc. NOTE: Right-to-Carry permits will not be honored and weapons will not be permitted into the venue.
  • Fireworks (includes flammable liquids, fuels or explosives)
  • Alcohol
  • Illegal drugs or illicit substances of any kind
  • Gas grills
  • Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS/Drones)

Streets will open after they are serviced and cleaned. All road closures will be lifted no later than 3 p.m. Thursday.