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Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023: Your guide to this year’s strut down the Parkway

Philadelphia's Thanksgiving Day Parade is back in 2023. Here’s all the info you need from its route and start time to road closures and SEPTA detours.

Dancers perform during the 6ABC Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, Pa. on Thursday, November 24, 2022.
Dancers perform during the 6ABC Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, Pa. on Thursday, November 24, 2022.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    by Henry Savage
    Updated 
    Published 

Philadelphia is home to the oldest Thanksgiving parade in the nation, which celebrates its 104th edition this year.

Officially known as the 6ABC Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade, Philly’s favorite Thanksgiving tradition is back on Thursday and it’s bringing tons of floats, special performers, and fun with it. But with the festivities come the usual holiday headaches, like road closures, parking restrictions, and transit detours.

Here, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know for this year’s annual holiday parade. Happy Thanksgiving, Philadelphia.

Parade route

This year’s 6ABC Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast starts at 8:30 a.m., with the parade kicking off at 9 a.m. and winding up around noon.

The route starts at 20th and John F. Kennedy Boulevard and heads east toward 16th Street, where it turns left and heads north to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. From there, the parade follows the Parkway west to Eakins Oval and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where it concludes. The parade is free to watch.

» READ MORE: What’s open and closed on Thanksgiving Day in the Philly area: Trash pickup, mail, businesses that are closed and more.

Weather

Thanksgiving Day will be sunny with highs in the low 50s during the day, followed by a partly cloudy night with a low of 35 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. All in all, that’s a pretty good forecast for the day’s festivities — especially compared to 2018, when Thanksgiving Day was one of the coldest in Philly’s recorded history and brought temps in the high 20s and winds as strong as 25 mph.

Thanksgiving parade road closures

Road closures will start on Monday night, when Eakins Oval closes for parade rehearsals from 6:30-11 p.m. Various closures will continue on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, according to the city’s Office of Special Events. Roads will reopen on a rolling basis as they are cleaned and serviced, and all road closures are scheduled to be lifted by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 23.

Scheduled road closures for the parade are as follows:

Monday

  1. 6:30-11 p.m. – Eakins Oval between Kelly Drive and MLK Jr. Drive closed for street rehearsals.

Tuesday

  1. 6:30-11 p.m. — Eakins Oval between Kelly Drive and MLK Jr. Drive closed for street rehearsals.

Wednesday

  1. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. — Eakins Oval between Kelly Drive and MLK Jr. Drive closed for street rehearsals.

  2. 6:30 p.m. – Eakins Oval closed for rehearsals and site building until the conclusion of the parade on Thursday, Nov. 23.

  3. 7 p.m. – Inbound lanes of JFK Blvd., from 20th St. to 30th St., will be closed to vehicular traffic until the conclusion of the parade on Thursday, Nov. 23.

  4. 8 p.m. – Outbound lanes of JFK Blvd., from 20th St. to 30th St. Station, will be closed to vehicular traffic until the conclusion of the parade on Thursday, Nov. 23.

Thursday

  1. 12 a.m. — JFK Blvd., from 30th St. to 16th St., will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.

  2. 2 a.m. – 20th St., from Ben Franklin Pkwy. to Race St., will be closed to vehicular traffic until 11 a.m.

  3. 2 a.m. – Market St., from 19th St. to 20th St., will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.

  4. 5 a.m. – 20th St. from JFK Blvd. to Arch St. will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.

  5. 6 a.m. – 20th St., from Market St. to Ben Franklin Pkwy., will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.

  6. 6 a.m. – Market St., from 19th St. to 22nd St., will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.

  7. 7 a.m. – Kelly Drive, from Sedgley Drive to Eakins Oval, will be closed to vehicular traffic until conclusion of parade.

  8. 7:30 a.m. – Parade route closed to vehicular traffic.

There will be traffic delays during the event. Motorists are advised to avoid the area by using alternate routes and allow for extra driving time on Thursday.

» READ MORE: Where to volunteer in Philadelphia on Thanksgiving.

Parking

There will be “Temporary No Parking” signs posted in areas on and around the parade route starting on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m., the Office of Special Events said. Cars parked in prohibited parking areas will be relocated. If you believe your car has been relocated, The Inquirer has a guide on what to do when you’ve been “courtesy towed.”

Metered parking elsewhere in the city is free on Thanksgiving. Additionally, you can check the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s website for a list of parking garages and parking lots around the parade route.

» READ MORE: How to park for cheap or free in Philadelphia

SEPTA service

SEPTA buses, trains, and trolleys will run on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving. You can follow real-time updates on the agency’s System Status website, via TransitView on the SEPTA app, or on Twitter at @SEPTA_Bus.

Temporary detours for several city bus routes begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 23, and should end at approximately 2 p.m. that afternoon. Routes affected during that time include:

  1. 2, 7, 17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 43, 44, 48, 49, 124, and 125 and MFO

For more detailed information about route detours, check SEPTA’s System Status Page at septa.org.

Parade floats and performers

Guests this year include celebrities such as Eagles player Jordan Mailata, hometown bachelor Joey Graziadei from ABC’s The Bachelor, and appearances from Ryan Seacrest, Kelly Ripa, and Mark Consuelos.

As for floats and balloons, look out for classic characters like Mr. Potato Head, Bumble the Abominable Snowman, Smurfette, Mickie and Minnie Mouse, and others.

And this year’s musical performers include Motown, R&B, and funk legends The Commodores, disco’s iconic Village People, and 16 other musical acts that show off local talent.

Where to watch

If you’re looking to attend the parade, you can watch from anywhere along its route free of charge. Some favorite spots to watch include the Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Eakins Oval, and Logan Circle.

» READ MORE: Flu is spreading around the Philly region and the nation. The holidays could help it take off.

How to watch from home

The parade will air live from 8:30 a.m. until noon on 6ABC, and can be streamed via the station’s website, the 6ABC Philadelphia News App, or on Hulu.

6ABC Action News favorites Adam Joseph, Alicia Vitarelli, Cecily Tynan, Karen Rogers, and Rick Williams will host, alongside Emmy award-winning Carson Kressley.

» READ MORE: Live your best life in Philly: Read our most useful stories here