The 2024 Mummers Parade: Time, tickets, transportation and more!
PHILADELPHIA - 2024 is almost here, which means one of Philadelphia's most beloved and unique traditions will strut its way down Broad Street once again!
The Mummers Parade will help kick off the New Year for the 124th time in a day filled with pomp and circumstance.
Here's everything you need to know to get ready for the big day:
Who, What, Where, When and Why?
The outdoor parade begins at 9 a.m January 1 on 17th and Market streets. It then turns at City Hall to head south along Broad Street to Washington Avenue.
Followed by the 26th annual Fancy Brigade Finale inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center with two shows: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.
Now, here's the why!
The Mummers Parade is believed to be the nation’s oldest folk festival. It stems from a mixture of immigrant traditions dating back to the 1640s, and is most likely dubbed "mummer" due to the German word for "mask."
The parade mixes the immigrant traditions of the Scandinavians who welcomed the new year with gunfire, the English and Welsh who entertained with masquerade plays, and the Germans credited with introducing Santa Claus to their new surroundings.
Black residents arriving after the Civil War added the signature strut, along with the parade's theme song "Oh! Dem Golden Slippers." It became an official city-sponsored event in 1901.
Parade/ Show Tickets
It's completely free to watch the outdoor parade! You can grab a spot - or sit in a lawn chair - at any point along the 1.5-mile route.
However, if you want to catch a performance at a designated spot, head to Broad Street at Sansom, Pine and Carpenter streets.
Bleacher seating is also available for $25 on the west side of City Hall.
The traditional spectacle now includes competition in four divisions: comics, the satirists; Fancies, with the flashiest outfits; Fancy Brigades, with choreographed theatrical works; and String Bands, the dancing musicians, with their traditional theme "Oh! Dem Golden Slippers."
Tickets to see the Fancy Brigade Finale are $38 for the 11:30 a.m. show, and $28 for the 5 p.m. show.
And the show doesn't end there! After the formal program, mummers and their fans traditionally congregate in South Philadelphia for a celebration that lasts late in the night.
Transportation
The public is urged to use SEPTA’s Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines to travel to and from the parade. Bus detours and regional rail schedules are on SEPTA’s website. The city has yet to announce road closures for the day.
How to Watch
This year's returning sponsor Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia is broadcasting the parade from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on WDPN-TV (MeTV2), WFMZ.com, and the WFMZ+ app available on Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, iOS, and Android devices.
For more information, check out the Philadelphia Visitor Center website.