The Experience
Where does the Mummers Parade take place?
The Mummers Parade begins at 17th and Market streets, then heads two blocks east toward and counterclockwise around City Hall before continuing the 13 blocks south down Broad Street to Washington Avenue, a total of one-and-a-half miles.
  — Photo by 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 in the house to view the roving festivities, spectators wanting to catch stationary performances can set up near the City Hall judging stand (see ticketed options below) or free designated stop-and-perform locations down Broad Street at Sansom, Pine and Carpenter streets.
When is the Mummers Parade?
The outdoor parade begins Wednesday, January 1, 2025, at 9 a.m. Spectators should arrive early to claim their spots. (Many arrive very early, so be prepared.) The event is scheduled to end between 5 and 6 p.m. If necessary, the rain date is Saturday, January 4, 2025.
  — Photo courtesy The Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association
Separately, the Fancy Brigades also hold two spirited and ticketed Fancy Brigade Finale shows (formerly known as Mummers Fest) at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on January 1, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Wait … what is the Mummers Parade?
The Mummers Parade is the nation’s oldest continuously operating folk parade, originating in 1901. Over the course of the procession down Broad Street — famous for its Mummers Strut — each of the Mummers performance divisions take on individual roles.
- 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 march while playing 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 courtesy The Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association
There’s more work to be done for one group, however. Taking a break from displaying their costumes, choreography, floats and music along Broad Street, the Fancy Brigades head to nearby Pennsylvania Convention Center twice during the day to stage elaborate Broadway-style performances for ticket holders during the 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Fancy Brigade Finale competitions for the right to hoist the winner’s Dan Lerro Cup.
