The Experience
More than 10,000 adults and children twirl, sashay, pirouette and strut down Broad Street.
Where
The Mummers Parade begins at 17th and Market streets, then heads two blocks east toward and around City Hall before continuing the 13 blocks south down Broad Street to Washington Avenue, for a total of one-and-a-half miles.
— Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
Performance judging takes place near 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard by City Hall’s Dilworth Park.
While there’s not a bad spot to view the festivities, spectators wanting to catch stationary performances can set up near the City Hall judging stand (tickets required) or free designated performance locations down Broad Street at Sansom, Pine and Carpenter streets.
When
The outdoor parade begins Monday, January 1, 2023 at 9 a.m. Spectators should arrive early to claim their spots (many arrive very early, so be prepared). If necessary, the rain date is Saturday, January 6, 2024.
The Fancy Brigades also hold a two-show ticketed Fancy Brigade Finale competition (formerly known as Mummers Fest) at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on January 1, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
What
The Mummers Parade is the nation’s oldest continuously operating folk parade, originating in 1901.
Each of the Mummers performance divisions has a special role.
- The Fancy Division (or Fancies) impresses with painted faces, glamorous sequined outfits, feathery plumage and colorful parasols.
- The Comics Division and Wench Brigades satirize recent events, public institutions, pop culture, celebrities and politicians through comedic skits and clownish dance.
- The elaborately dressed Fancy Brigades produce tightly choreographed story-based theatrical extravaganzas.
- And String Bands gleefully play banjos, saxophones, glockenspiels, accordions, violins and percussion instruments, performing original music and traditional tunes including “Oh, Dem Golden Slippers,” the unofficial Mummers anthem.
The noisy camaraderie shouldn’t fool the novice attendee, as each club is embroiled in a friendly yet fierce competition for top honors. Awards are given out in a variety of categories among each division, but the main prize is year-long bragging rights.
— Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
There’s more work to be done for one group, however. After they’ve displayed their costumes, choreography, floats and music along Broad Street, the Fancy Brigades head to the nearby Pennsylvania Convention Center to stage elaborate Broadway-style performances for ticket holders during the two-show Fancy Brigade Finale competition for the right to hoist the winner’s Dan Lerro Cup.
