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Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade to Feature Over 110 Marching Units; Parade is Set for Saturday Before Thanksgiving in Downtown Silver Spring

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, October 23, 2018

The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is set to march down the streets of Silver Spring on Saturday, November 17, from 10 a.m. to noon.

This year’s parade features over 110 marching units, including college and high school marching bands; glittering Thanksgiving and Christmas floats; balloons; theatrical performances by the Maryland Youth Ballet, Princess Mhoon Dance Institute, and Adventure Theatre-MTC; a baton twirler and drummers, South American musical groups;  12-foot inflatables, including a turkey, a dinosaur and a penguin; motorcycles and horse-mounted police; pageant winners; fire engines; antique cars; performing dogs and rescue animal groups; Kapitol Klowns and more.

The only Thanksgiving parade in the region, the parade route travels from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street, south on Georgia Avenue to Silver Spring Avenue.

ABC7 Meteorologist Brian Van de Graaff and ABC7 Anchor Julie Wright are emceeing the parade, which will be broadcast live at 10 a.m. on NewsChannel 8. The parade will be rebroadcast several times on Thanksgiving Day.

Holiday Family Photos and Selfies

The parade also offers a place to take your family holiday photos.  Right next to the ice rink, you can take your photo with inflatables, including a turkey, a penguin, “Frozen’s” Elsa, and with Hanukkah and Christmas décor.  All parade selfies marked with the hashtag #MoCoThanksParade will be broadcast on the jumbotron at Ellsworth and Fenton along the parade route.

Volunteering

The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is always looking for volunteers to serve as elves and pilgrims on floats, reindeer, and penguins in the parade.  The parade needs volunteers, aged 13 and older, to dress up in costume, to serve as unit leaders, and to be inflatable and balloon handlers.  The hours for volunteers are from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (volunteers need to be present the entire six hours) on Saturday, November 17.  Volunteers can register on the parade website.

Parking Information and Road Closures

Free parking will be available in the public garages, including the Sligo Avenue Garage, the Cameron Street Garage, and the Bonifant Street Garage next to Metro. The Ellsworth Town Center garage is closed on November 17, from 2 a.m. to 2 p.m.  and the Wayne Avenue Garage also will be closed from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Parade goers are encouraged to take the Metro/Red Line to the Silver Spring station, just west of Georgia Avenue, across from the Discovery building.

All lanes of Georgia Avenue from East-West Highway to Colesville Road will close at 7 a.m. and will reopen after the parade concludes.

Detailed road closures are listed below:

  • North and southbound Georgia Avenue between East-West Highway and Colesville Road;
  • Cedar Avenue between Colesville Road and Wayne Avenue;
  • Pershing Drive from Cedar Avenue to Veterans Place;
  • Veterans Place from Pershing to Ellsworth Drive;
  • Ellsworth Drive from Georgia to Cedar Avenues;
  • Roeder Road from Fenton Street to Cedar Avenue;
  • Fenton Street from Cameron Street to Wayne Avenue;
  • Wayne Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street;
  • Bonifant Street from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street;
  • Thayer Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street; and
  • Silver Spring Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street. 

The parade will be held rain or shine. For more information, call 240.777.0311 or visit the parade’s website.

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Release ID: 18-715
Media Contact: Elizabeth Gallauresi 301-729-2928, Susan Hoffmann 301-806-3265

Press Contact

Monika Hammer
Communications & Public Outreach

Montgomery County Recreation
2425 Reedie Drive
10th Floor
Wheaton, MD 20902
(240) 463-2442
Monika.Hammer@montgomerycountymd.gov