The Mummers Parade Struts Down Broad Street on New Year's Day: What to Know

The Experience

More than 10,000 adults and children twirl, sashay, pirouette and strut down Broad Street.

Where

The Mummers Parade begins at 17th and Market streets, then heads two blocks east toward and around City Hall before continuing the 13 blocks south down Broad Street to Washington Avenue, for a total of one-and-a-half miles.

  — Photo by J. Fusco for 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 to view the festivities, spectators wanting to catch stationary performances can set up near the City Hall judging stand (tickets required) or free designated performance locations down Broad Street at Sansom, Pine and Carpenter streets.

When

The outdoor parade begins Monday, January 1, 2023 at 9 a.m. Spectators should arrive early to claim their spots (many arrive very early, so be prepared). If necessary, the rain date is Saturday, January 6, 2024.

The Fancy Brigades also hold a two-show ticketed Fancy Brigade Finale competition (formerly known as Mummers Fest) at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on January 1, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

What

The Mummers Parade is the nation’s oldest continuously operating folk parade, originating in 1901.

Each of the Mummers performance divisions has a special role.

• 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 play 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 by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia

There’s more work to be done for one group, however. After they’ve displayed their costumes, choreography, floats and music along Broad Street, the Fancy Brigades head to the nearby Pennsylvania Convention Center to stage elaborate Broadway-style performances for ticket holders during the two-show Fancy Brigade Finale competition for the right to hoist the winner’s Dan Lerro Cup.

Getting There & Tickets

First thing’s first: Spectators are encouraged to leave their cars behind and take public transportation into Center City.

The parade route is easily accessible from SEPTA Regional Rail, bus, subway and trolley lines no matter where you choose to watch from. Those who drive should park in a garage and be mindful of road closures.

Tickets: Outdoor Parade Seating

The Mummers Parade is free to watch anywhere along the 1.5 mile parade route, with designated performance spots on Broad Street at Sansom, Pine and Carpenter streets (lawn chairs permitted).

But for spectators looking to snag a reserved seat and a great view, one of the best spots is the Parade Bleacher Seating (by the judging stand on the west side of City Hall at Dilworth Park). Bleacher tickets are $25 and can be purchased in person at the Independence Visitor Center at Sixth and Market streets during operating hours or bought online (plus $9.65 shipping).

Tickets: Indoor Shows at the Pennsylvania Convention Center

There are two Fancy Brigade Finale competition shows on New Year’s Day at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, one from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and another from 5 to 8 p.m.

  — Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia

Tickets for both performances can be purchased from the Independence Visitor Center ($38 for 11:30 a.m., $28 for 5 p.m.) in person at Sixth and Market streets during operating hours or bought online (plus $9.65 shipping). Tickets are also available online directly from the Fancy Brigade Association ($35 for center sections, $25 for side sections, plus $2.75 fees).

For more information about Mummers event tickets, click the button below.

The History

Who

Mummers are Philadelphians of all ages who belong to more than 40 organized clubs that make up the parade participants.

The clubs — split into five categories (Comics, Wench Brigades, Fancies, String Bands and Fancy Brigades) — exist mainly to stage their playful performances each New Year’s Day. But Mummers clubs also perform at many other events and festivals throughout the year, locally and around the country, including a number of charitable events.

For many Philadelphia-area families, Mummery is a tradition that spans generations.

  — Photo by M. Edlow for Visit Philadelphia

Why

Mummery traces its roots to ancient Roman laborers who ushered in the festival of Saturnalia by marching in masks while exchanging gifts and satirizing the issues of the day. In the 1600s, Swedish settlers to Philadelphia’s outskirts honored Christmas by beseeching their neighbors for dessert and liquor by dressing up, chanting and shooting firearms.

The party eventually migrated to New Year’s Day and evolved into a series of neighborhood parades. Then, as immigrants moved to the area from Ireland and Italy, each group added its own cultural flair to the local customs. In 1901, the tradition began in earnest with the first recognized and judged Mummers Parade in South Philadelphia.

The term Mummer comes from German and means “to costume, pantomime or masquerade.”

For more information about The Mummers Parade, click the button below.