Your guide to the 2019 Mummers Parade

It’s coming up on that time again. The holidays are nearly over, everyone is stuffed with food, and there’s only one last thing left to do: watch the massive Mummers Parade on New Year’s Day.

As anyone who’s lived in the city for even a short time knows, the Mummers Parade is arguably one of the most anticipated events of the year, drawing around 20,000 viewers and 10,000 participants. With their bright costumes, music, and folk play, the Mummers bring people from the city and suburbs alike to South Broad Street every New Year’s day.

However, as one of the most anticipated annual events, the attraction needs a lot of prep work. City workers have already started cordoning off some streets and temporarily halting parking.

And Philadelphians—whether they plan on watching the parade or just traveling in the city Tuesday—need to prepare, too. So here’s our complete roundup of all things New Year’s Day and Mummers to help figure out your plans:

When is the Mummers Parade?

Like every year, the Mummers Parade is held on January 1, which is a Tuesday this year. It starts at 9 a.m. in Center City and South Philly, and festivities end around 6 p.m.

The order of the parade starts with the “fancy division,” followed by the wenches, the comic division, and finally, string bands.

What’s the parade route?

The route itself is relatively simple; it starts at City Hall and travels down Broad Street before concluding at Washington Avenue. There will be several performance stops along the way,

Phila.gov

at the intersection of the parade route and Market, Sansom, Bach Place, and Pine Street.

Is the weather going to be nice?

Despite afternoon/evening rain the night before, the forecast for the day of the parade is looking up. According to Weather.com, temperatures will be at a high of 58 degrees and a low of 37, with partially cloudy skies and only a 20 percent chance of rain. Much better than last year’s frigid temperatures.

How can I watch the parade?

If you’re one to watch the parade in person, you’ll likely have a good vantage point anywhere along the Broad Street route. If you’re really looking to take in the action, it might be worth trying to get a place near the performance areas (listed above) but we recommend going earlier than 9 a.m.

If you prefer the warmth of your bed, you can always catch the parade on PHL17 if you’re in the Philly area. If not, you can check it out online, where Mr. Mummer is streaming it all day, starting at 9 a.m.

Which roads will be closed?

Expect road closures to start as early as this weekend, as workers prep for the event.

• Two east travel lanes on 15th Street from JFK to S. Penn Square will be closed Dec. 29 through noon on Jan. 2
• Market Street from 15th to 16th will close at 3 a.m. January 1 until the end of the event
• 15th Street from Arch to Chestnut will close at 3 a.m. January 1
• JFK from 15th to 21st street will close at 3 a.m. January 1
• Broad Street from S. Penn Square to Washington will close at 7 a.m. on January 1
• Washington from 12th to 18th will close at 7 a.m. on January 1

Also, if you’re planning on driving on New Year’s day, make sure to avoid the parade route. Drivers won’t be able to go across Broad Street unless they drive south of Washington Avenue or north of City Hall.

What about parking?

There are tons of parking restrictions in place for the parade as well, starting Saturday at 15th Street around the parade route, which will stay under a parking ban until January 2.

West Market Street and JFK Boulevard will also be under a parking restriction in the area west of Broad Street starting Monday and continuing through January 1.

Finally, parking will be restricted in side streets all around the parade route and on the route itself, starting at 2 a.m. Tuesday, January 1. Check out a full list of each street that will be closed to parking here.

How will this affect transportation?

Buses, trains, and trolleys will already be operating on a Sunday schedule due to the holiday, but there will be additional bus detours due to the parade that SEPTA plans to publish on their system status page prior to the event.