Per Montgomery County:
“Larger than life inflatable turkeys and penguins, glittering floats, marching bands, dancing groups, and Santa and his elves! The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is the only Thanksgiving Parade in the metro DC area.
Held in downtown Silver Spring, the exciting parade traditionally heralds the start of the holiday season. The parade steps off from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street and proceeds south on Georgia Avenue, ending at Silver Spring Avenue.”
For Immediate Release: Monday, November 1, 2021
Looking for a safe and fun outdoor family event for the holidays? The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade will usher in the holiday season on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. The parade kicks off with the thrilling sounds of marching bands, spinners with gold and orange hoops and streamers, and Thanksgiving-themed costumes and units, as well as a 12-foot turkey. Brian van de Graaff, ABC7 meteorologist, will be returning as the parade emcee.
In this year’s parade, the Chanukah celebratory units appear early on because Chanukah comes early this year, just after Thanksgiving. The parade is filled with gymnasts and tumblers, performing dogs, colorful Mexican, Peruvian, and Bolivian dancing groups, fire trucks, music, colorful inflatable characters, and ends with Christmas trees, reindeer, presents, elves, and Santa! Special performances include dances from The Nutcracker’s The Waltz of the Flowers by the Maryland Youth Ballet and Akhmedova Ballet’s choreographed interpretation of ice skating at the Silver Spring Rink.
Families in attendance will be able to socially distance themselves, as the parade route continues for a mile along Ellsworth Drive, to and along Georgia Avenue, ending at Spring Street. The best area for those seeking more personal space is Georgia Avenue, since Ellsworth Drive can become quite crowded. All attendees are encouraged to wear masks to keep the community, our neighbors, and our young people safe.
More information about the parade can be found at: https://www.silverspringdowntown.com/montgomery-county-thanksgiving-parade. You can also call MC311 at 3-1-1 (or 240-777-0311 if outside the County) Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Volunteering:
Individuals who are interested in participating in the parade (not as marching units) are encouraged to volunteer for the parade. The parade is always looking for volunteers to be snowmen, nutcrackers, and penguins in the parade, or to lead balloons. The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is looking for volunteers, ages 13 and older, to dress up in costume, to act as unit leaders, and to be balloon handlers. This year our need for adult volunteers is particularly high, as the parade normally has many student volunteers. Our volunteer numbers have the potential to be lower due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hours for volunteers are from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (volunteers need to be present during the entire time) on Saturday, Nov. 20. Volunteer information can also be found at the link above.
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