The annual Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade will take place on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 10 a.m.
According to the county, the Thanksgiving parade is the only one in the D.C. area, attracting approximately 10,000 people to Downtown Silver Spring to watch over 100 participating groups.
The parade will start at the intersection of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street in Downtown Silver Spring, then move south along Georgia Avenue, and conclude at Silver Spring Avenue. WJLA-TV’s First Alert meteorologist and Good Morning Washington host Eileen Whelan will be the emcee for the performances at the beginning of the parade.
The parade will be held rain or shine.
“The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade marks the start of the holiday season in Montgomery County and the broader DMV region,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “It is a great event that brings the community together for a day of celebration. I encourage everyone to join in the festivities, consider volunteering to participate in parade-related activities and support our business community in Downtown Silver Spring.”
The parade organizers need volunteers who are 13 years old or older to wear costumes and ride on the floats, act as unit leaders, and handle the inflatable balloons. Volunteers must be available from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the day of the parade and stay for the entire event. Volunteers should meet at the Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Place, at the intersection of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street.
The parade will showcase over 100 units, including high school and college marching bands, drum lines, floats, dance troupes, beauty queens, fire trucks, and groups with talented dogs and rescue animals. The event will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by County Executive Elrich, followed by a marching band performance. The parade will then feature units celebrating harvest and Thanksgiving themes, live performances by cultural dance groups such as the Maryland Youth Ballet, Hanukkah inflatables, and Santa’s festive float playing holiday music as the grand finale.
Mrs. Claus will be joining Santa and the elves in the parade for the first time ever.
The parade and festivities will lead to road closures in the Downtown Silver Spring area. Northbound and southbound lanes of Georgia Avenue, from East-West Highway to Colesville Road, will close at 6 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, and will re-open at the conclusion of the parade (approximately 1 p.m.). Traffic should detour to East-West Highway.
The Downtown Silver Spring Farmers Market will be relocated to the Panera parking lot to accommodate the Thanksgiving Parade.
Free parking will be available in public garages including the Sligo Avenue Garage, Cameron Street Garage, and Bonifant Street Garage next to the Silver Spring Metrorail Station. The Ellsworth Street Garage will be closed on parade day, starting at 2 a.m., to accommodate the parade organization.
Parade attendees are encouraged to take the Metro Red Line to the Silver Spring station, just west of Georgia Avenue.
The following roads will be closed from 6 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 (parking restrictions begin at 2 a.m. Saturday):
- Northbound and southbound Georgia Avenue between East-West Highway and Colesville Road
- Cedar Street between Colesville Road and Wayne Avenue
- Pershing Drive from Cedar Street to Veterans Place
- Veterans Place from Pershing to Ellsworth Drive
- Ellsworth Drive from Georgia Avenue to Cedar Street
- Roeder Road from Fenton Street to Cedar Street
- 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
- Silver Spring Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street
For additional details or to register as a volunteer, visit this link.
Photo: “IMG_0558a” by Elvert Barnes is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.