Marching Bands and Floats at the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade; Saturday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 23

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The reverberating drums of the marching bands herald the coming of the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade even before you catch sight of the first glittering float or giant inflatable turkey.  Taking place the Saturday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 23 at 10 a.m., the Annual Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade steps off from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring and proceeds south on Georgia Ave., ending at Silver Spring Ave.

The parade features live performances by Akhmedova Ballet Academy, Princess Mhoon Dance Institute, and Maryland Youth Ballet.  In addition to the excerpts of Tchaikowsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Broadway-style numbers, the parade features performances by fourteen marching bands including college, local high school, honor guard bands, and internationally themed bands.  Performances will take place at the parade step-off, at the intersection of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street.

The public can enter a raffle to win tickets for their family to sit in the grandstand by visiting: thanksgivingparadegrandstand.eventbrite.com. Parade attendees can also enjoy holiday selfie-taking and activities on Veterans Plaza before and immediately following the parade.

The parade begins with a harvest and Thanksgiving theme and ends with holiday music, a Hanukkah bear, reindeer, elves, and Santa Claus. Emcees ABC7/WJLA Meteorologist Brian Van De Graaff and ABC7/WJLA’s Julie Wright, seen on Good Morning Washington and Let’s Talk Live, will introduce more glittering floats to the audience than the parade has ever featured.  More than 100 units will be on display, including inflatable nutcrackers, snowmen, turkeys, dinosaur, and penguins; twirlers and beauty queens; fire engines; and performing dog and rescue animal groups. 

The parade will be held rain or shine. For more information, call 240-777-0311 or visit www.silverspringdowntown.com/montgomery-county-thanksgiving-parade.

Volunteering

The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is always looking for volunteers to be elves and pilgrims on floats, reindeer, and penguins in the parade, or to lead balloons.  The parade needs volunteers, age 13 and older, to dress up in costume and ride on the floats, to act 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 whole time) on Saturday, Nov. 23.  Volunteers meet at the Silver Spring Civic Building at One Veterans Place at Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street.  To sign-up visit, https://www.silverspringdowntown.com/montgomery-county-thanksgiving-parade/Volunteering.

Road Closures and Parking Information

The Northbound and Southbound lanes of Georgia Ave., from East-West Highway to Colesville Road will close at 6 a.m. and reopen at the conclusion of the parade, at approximately 1 p.m.  Traffic should detour to East-West Highway.

Free parking will be available in the public garages including the Sligo Ave. Garage, the Cameron Street Garage, and the Bonifant Street Garage next to Metro. The Ellsworth Town Center garage is closed that day beginning at 2 a.m. to accommodate the parade. Attendees are encouraged to take the Metro/Red Line to the Silver Spring station, just west of Georgia Ave.

The following roads will be closed on Saturday, Nov. 23, from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. –

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

Television Broadcast

Broadcast live at 10 a.m. on NewsChannel 8, the parade will be aired again several times on Thanksgiving Day.

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Release ID: 19-391
Media Contact: Montgomery County Office of Public Information 240-777-6507