Marching bands, classic cars, scouting groups, dancers, floats, balloons and more (including politicians) will all return to Silver Spring for the county’s annual Thanksgiving Parade, which steps off at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 20.
Brian van de Graaff, ABC7 meteorologist, also will be returning as the parade emcee, which will run from Ellsworth Drive at Veterans Plaza, then down Georgia Avenue to Silver Spring Street.
All attendees should wear masks and practice social distancing, which is expected to be easier along Georgia than the often-crowded Ellsworth stretch.
Drivers through Silver Spring need to be aware that the northbound and southbound lanes of Georgia Avenue from East-West Highway to Colesville Road will close at 6 a.m. and reopen at the conclusion of the parade, about 1 p.m., and they should detour to East-West Highway.
The following roads also will be closed on Saturday from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to a press release:
- 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 St. from Cameron St. to Wayne Avenue
- Wayne Avenue from Georgia Ave. to Fenton Street
- Bonifant St. from Georgia Ave. to Fenton Street
- Thayer Ave. from Georgia Ave. to Fenton Street, and
- Silver Spring Ave. from Georgia Ave. to Fenton Street.
In addition, the Town Center public parking garage at Ellsworth Drive will close at 2 a.m. Saturday morning, while the Wayne Avenue garage also will close beginning at 8 a.m. The garages will reopen by 2 p.m.
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.
Photo by Mike Diegel