Call me strange, but I love a parade! The fun of it, the pomp and circumstance, the revelry and celebration of it...gay pride or otherwise. Even though the town we live in only has a Halloween one, and even when I lived in Doylestown, we had a wonderful lively Fourth of July parade, one thing Philly does well is put on a parade. The Mummers Parade is legendary!!!! But Thanksgiving wouldn't be the Thanksgiving without the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade. I have been a few times, and it may shock you to know, it's actually even older than the Macy's one.
In 1920, the Gimbels Thanksgiving Parade was the first of it's kind. Store employees in clown costumes bandied down Market Street vying for attention to promote the store's "Toyland" department. Today, along with the Mummers and 25 or more college and high school bands, numerous floats, balloons and performers- the two hour parade ignites Ben Franklin Parkway with much fanfare and color of pre-holiday merriment. Gimbels in Philadelphia was at 9th and Market Street- the cornerstone of a national brand that famously rivaled Macy's- and catered to both high- and low-end consumers, unusual among retailers od the era. It just wouldn't be thanksgiving without see this parade in the morning for me, along with all the cooking smells from the turkey and stuffing and other goodies for the dinner in the evening.
Americans do love their parades!
ReplyDeleteI agree. We love our parades, and Macy's is like an upscale K-Mart minus the ICEEs and popcorn.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, the Mummers... I do suspect they represent early Drag at it's finest!
ReplyDeleteI live right around the corner off Market, so I can see most of the parade right from my windows. My mother remembers back in the day, Santa climbing the ladder from his float into Gimbel's window.
ReplyDeleteI love parades too. I generally go the Thanksgiving and Mummers parades like every other year depending on our performance schedule. But my grandparents use to tell me about the window Santa and his climbing into was the toy department of Gimbels. As the store was closed for Thanksgiving, the story was supposed to be that Santa spent Thanksgiving filling the store with toys. When Gimbels reopened on Black Friday, the store was filled with the toys that Santa supposedly left the day before. Im glad we still have the parade.
ReplyDeleteSince moving from Harrisburg, this will be my first time to see the parade in person. Then goggle gobble time. Happy Thanksgiving hennnnny.
ReplyDeleteSanta followed by the Three Wise Men. That certainly covers both sides of Christmas.
ReplyDeleteYou're strange. (You TOLD me to call you that.) I'm with you. I love a parade.
ReplyDeleteso great imagination!
ReplyDeleteI'm always like watching the Philadelphia Thanksgiving parade but now since I moved I don't think I find it anywhere televised anymore. And I refuse to watch the Macy's Parade. Between the host talking all the time, tons of commercials and same performers I don't know who they are, it's become nothing but a giant plug for actors actresses and shows. You're lucky to even see a band or a float. That's why I used to like watching the Philadelphia one. Oh and I remember Gimbels very well.
ReplyDeleteThe santa clause parade in Toronto started in 1904/5 and is one of the largest parades in North America. As children we eagerly awaited it every year. It was the highlight of the year. Now that I am old, I watch it on tv. I love all parades, Military, Pride, Veterans, just any parade but the best ones have pipers in kilts with bagpipes! Gigi
ReplyDeleteOlive Oyl! Love that one.
ReplyDeleteHappy 🍗🍗🍗 Day, MM.
Thanks for being in my blog world!
The J.L Hudson parade in Detroit was a family tradition when I was growing up, sadly that store is now part of - I won't repeat the name - you know - the end of retail as we knew it. Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely walk down memory lane. Love Olive Oyl! Always makes me think of Jane Hathaway.
ReplyDeleteI cannot remember when I last saw the Macy's parade. I saw it as an integral part of the thanksgiving holiday. When I move back to the east I plan to reinstate this tradition.
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