A perfect day for a Philadelphia tradition. Not too hot, not too cold , a great day for a parade. And what a parade it was. The Mummers did their thing on Broad Street, marching, singing, drinking and whooping it up. It's a tradition that exceeds 100 years.
This can only happen in Philadelphia. It was tried in other cities but failed. If you want the Mummers, you have to come to Philly. Comics and fancy brigades march on Broad Street and over to JFK Blvd . for the judging. This route is actually better than the old parade route. It is cleaner and more open. This allows more people to see what is going on. The only complaint is there needs to be speakers near the Love Park entry, so people can hear the music of the string bands.
The Mummers parade is an all day event, so people come and go. They move down the street to see their friends and relatives. While the comics are fun to watch most people come for the string bands. The areas surrounding the performance areas are always the most packed. String bands get 4:30 to do their routine. If they go over,they can get disqualified.
The Fancy Division performs at the Pennsylvania Convention center well into the evening.
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