Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the oldest in the United States, is steeped in history. First held in 1920, it was started by the Gimbel Brothers department store. The floats and performers paraded up Market Street towards the store, where Santa Claus then climbed a fire engine ladder into the toy department. This procession would mark the official start of the holiday shopping season.
During the parade’s early years, store employees walked down the strip in clown costumes to promote Gimbel’s “Toyland.” Over the decades, the event attracted numerous famous personalities from the king of tap, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, to NASA’s first African American astronaut, Guion Bluford. And it’s not a true parade without giant balloons! Before the age of animated cartoons, most of the balloons featured characters from comic strips like “Toonerville Trolley.”
After Gimbels closed its doors in 1986, folks weren’t sure what to do next. It was then that 6ABC stepped in, ensuring this tradition would continue for generations to come. This year marks the 104th Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philly, with television coverage kicking off at 8:30 a.m. The parade itself will begin at 9 a.m. and typically lasts about three hours as it winds through the streets of Philly. If you plan to watch in person, be sure to arrive early and bundle up to stay warm!
