6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade
Parade logo with Dunkin' Donuts co-sponsorship introduced in 2011
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes104 (as of November 23, 2023)
Production
Production locations20th and JFK Boulevard, and then across JFK Boulevard, around Philadelphia City Hall, across the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and ending at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Running time3.5 hours
(with commercials)
Production companies1920–1985: Gimbels
1986–present: WPVI
1986–2007: Boscov's
2008–2010: IKEA
2011–2019, 2021–present: Dunkin'
Original release
Network6abc (WPVI-TV)
ReleaseNovember 25, 1920 (1920-11-25) –
present
Parade logo, introduced with IKEA's sponsorship of the parade in 2008

The 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade[1] is an annual Thanksgiving Day parade held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is presently sponsored and aired by ABC owned-and-operated television station WPVI-TV, through a co-sponsorship agreement with restaurant chain Dunkin'. It is currently the oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States, having been held through the Great Depression & World War II, and was created by Gimbels department store in 1920. The Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade was held until the department store closed operations in 1986.

History

The Philadelphia parade first started in 1920 and is considered the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the country. Like other parades of its type, it features balloons, floats, high school marching bands, and celebrities. The Gimbels department store sponsored the 1920 parade as the Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade; it continued annually despite World War II.[2] Ellis Gimbel, one of the founders of Gimbels Department Stores, wanted his toy land to be the destination of holiday shoppers everywhere. He had more than 50 store employees dressed in costume and sent to walk in their first Thanksgiving Day parade. The parade featured floats as marchers paraded down Market Street, with the finale consisting of Santa Claus arriving at the eighth-floor toy department at Gimbels by climbing the ladder of a Philadelphia Fire Department ladder truck.[2] Gimbels emulated other holiday parades already in existence. The Santa Claus Parade in Peoria, Illinois, is held on the day after Thanksgiving and is the oldest, continuously held holiday parade in the country since 1887, under the sponsorship of Frederick Block and the Schipper & Block (later Block & Kuhl) Department Store. Block's example led to the founding of similar parades in other cities. The parade tradition continues today.

End of Gimbels Era

Parade logo during Boscov's title sponsorship

When BATUS Inc. was unable to find a buyer for Gimbels in 1986, the department store chain liquidated; the fate of the country's oldest parade was up in the air. Boscov's (a family-owned department store based in Reading, Pennsylvania) and WPVI (self-named "6abc" in its programs and promotions) therefore took over sponsorship.[3] They renamed the event as the 6abc Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 6abc is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company (since 1996), and thus, this parade benefits from access to Disney characters and personalities.

In 2004, the parade celebrated its 85th anniversary with new balloons and floats. An opening number paid tribute to the celebrities who had participated during its history. In 2005, it had the most stars in history, as well as eight new balloons, more than ever before. In 2007, the parade presented the first parade float with a built-in ice rink. Disney's High School Musical: The Ice Tour utilized the rink (WPVI and High School Musical are both owned by Disney).

In August 2008, Boscov's Department Stores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and planned to close several stores, due to financial problems from the widespread recession. They then gave up sponsorship of the parade. Swedish furniture manufacturer IKEA, which has a store and its North American home office in nearby Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, succeeded Boscov's as parade sponsor from that year until 2010.

In June 2011, Dunkin' Donuts announced that they would sponsor the parade.[4] In addition to balloons and marching bands, the show features ABC Network celebrities, stars from stage and screen, Disney characters, and local personalities, including members of the Action News team.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the parade was held as a television-only event. The 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Celebration featured modifications similar to those made by the Macy's and America's Thanksgiving Parades.[5] The parade returned to its traditional format in 2021.

Television coverage

Since 1966, the parade has been broadcast on WPVI, as well as simulcast on other television stations throughout the United States.[6] Viewers worldwide could also watch the telecast on the station's website, 6abc.com. Good Morning America, ABC's national morning news program, sends a reporter to the event each year and covers festivities leading up to the parade. Recently, Good Morning America then-weather anchor Sam Champion participated in hosting, marking his 6th year of participation in 2013.[7] In more recent years, current GMA weekday weather anchor Ginger Zee has participated in hosting.[8]

Jim O'Brien was the program's first host; Dave Roberts became a perennial host upon joining the station in 1978. After the sudden death of O'Brien in 1983, WPVI's Lisa Thomas-Laury "took the reins" as Roberts's co-host. Together, Roberts and Thomas-Laury hosted the parade for nearly 20 years. When Thomas-Laury began to experience health problems in 2002, WPVI weather anchor Cecily Tynan replaced her. 2006 marked the program's first high-definition telecast.

Since her return to WPVI, Thomas-Laury helped host the finale in 2005 and 2006. In 2009, the station announced that Roberts would retire from broadcasting on December 11 of that year. Thomas-Laury made a special appearance in 2009 to celebrate Roberts's years as host. The current hosting team is Tynan and WPVI news anchor Rick Williams,[9] who replaced Roberts.

Along with Tynan and Williams, Action News weather anchor Karen Rogers reports from the sidelines during the event. Rogers (along with Williams and Tynan) also hosts the annual countdown from 8:30 am to 9:00 am (usually shown exclusively in Philadelphia). Along with Rogers, fellow weather anchor Adam Joseph travels the route on a golf cart to give viewers a glimpse of the parade as it goes down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. He also hosts the "Parade Fan Cam" segment, where viewers can log on to the station's website and see all of the people who line the Parkway as well. Some of the people end up featured on the actual broadcast of the parade. In 2014, Alicia Vitarelli took over Joseph's role on the route and as the host of the "Parade Fan Cam." Starting in 2017, both Joseph and Vitarelli were co-hosts of the Fan Cam.

WPVI also broadcasts annual live coverage of Philadelphia's Pulaski, Columbus and Puerto Rican parades.[6]

Balloons

Balloons have been created to represent a wide variety of characters from popular children's books, including folk tales; toys, comic books, animated movies (cartoons), TV series (such as Sesame Street), films and other genres. Increasingly over the years, the balloons have featured characters who have tie-in marketing of toys, games, and accessories.

Year Featured Balloons
2010 New: Bugs Bunny, Fred Flintstone, The Jetsons

Returning: Cornucopia, Sam I Am from Green Eggs and Ham, Mr. Potato Head, Big Bird, Toy Train, Scooby-Doo, Twinkles the Snowman, Nutcracker, Turkey, Horton the Elephant, Elmo[10]

2011 New: Buddy the Dinosaur from Dinosaur Train, Curious George, Red from Fraggle Rock, Apollo the Dog

Returning: Turkey, Cornucopia, Madeline, Scooby-Doo, 2 Gift Packages, Bugs Bunny, Fred Flintstone, Toy Train, 2 Gingerbread Men, Kermit the Frog[11]

2012 New: Thomas the Tank Engine, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Lorax, Mr. Conductor from Dinosaur Train, Fireman Mr. Potato Head, Sid the Science Kid

Returning: Cookie Monster, Scooby-Doo, Bugs Bunny, Elmo, Pizzazz the Snowman, T-Rex, 2 Gift Packages, Turkey[12]

2013 New: Chuggington

Returning: Mr. Potato Head, Snowflake, Holiday Stocking and Christmas Bell

  • Balloons were limited this year due to winds
2014 New: Maisy Mouse, Caillou, Garfield Santa, Bob the Builder, Mistletoes the Snowman

Returning: My Little Pony, Mr. Potato Head, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Plex from Yo Gabba Gabba, Strawberry Shortcake, The Lorax, The Grinch, Pajanimals, Mr. Conductor from Dinosaur Train, The Cat in the Hat, Horton, Nutcrackers[13]

2015 New: Phila-A-Turkey, Tasmanian Devil, Daniel Tiger, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Bubbles the Goldfish

Returning: Red from Fraggle Rock, Garfield Santa, Strawberry Shortcake, Sam I Am from Green Eggs and Ham, Scooby-Doo, Mr. Potato Head Fireman, Gift Boxes, Thomas the Tank Engine, The Grinch, My Little Pony[14]

2016 New: Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba, Tweety Bird, Captain Barnacles

Returning: Olivia the Pig, T-Rex, Tasmanian Devil, Curious George, The Cat in the Hat, Mr. Potato Head, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Bugs Bunny, The Grinch, Scooby-Doo, Daniel Tiger

2017 New: Buddy the Dinosaur (from Dinosaur Train), Penguins of Madagascar, Fiddlesticks the Holiday Mouse, Thing 1 and Thing 2

Returning: Bugs Bunny, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Daniel Tiger, Strawberry Shortcake, Gingerbread Man, Red from Fraggle Rock, Very Hungry Caterpillar, Pajanimals

2018 New: Where's Waldo?

Returning: The Grinch, Thing 1, Thing 2, Hello Kitty. Santa Claus, Brainy Smurf, Strawberry Shortcake, T-Rex, Daniel Tiger, Underdog, Pizzazz the Snowman[15]

2019 All balloons grounded due to severe winds
2020 Event cancelled due to COVID-19
2021 New: Pac-Man, Jerold the Bookworm, Bumble the Abominable Snowman, Gingersnap

Returning: Fiddlesticks, Daniel Tiger, Rudolph, Turkey, Buddy the Dinosaur, Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Cat in the Hat, Cupcakes[16]

2022 New: Smurfette, Peppa Pig, Alma, Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Eva Green Tree

Returning: Mr. Potato Head, Thomas the Tank Engine, Bumble the Abominable Snowman, Gift Box, 2 Ornaments, Bugs Bunny, Strawberry Shortcake, Turkey

2023 New: Sunny Starscout from My Little Pony: Make Your Mark, Hermie the Elf, Gobo from Fraggle Rock

Returning: Turkey, Bumble the Abominable Snowman, Mr. Potato Head Fireman, Pac-Man, Horton the Elephant, Magenta and Tartan Ornaments, Pizazz the Snowman, Red from Fraggle Rock, My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, Neon Gift Box, Smurfette

Stars, performers, and acts

In addition to the well-known balloons and floats, the parade also features live music and other performances. High-school marching bands from across the country participate, and the television broadcasts feature performances by famous singers and bands as well as appearances by local celebrities and actors from ABC shows. Since 1997, the parade has also featured a tap routine called "FanTAPulous," with more than 450 dancers from the East Coast. Other special guests include state and national beauty contest winners, cheerleaders of major sports teams, casts from musicals performing in Philadelphia, and Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Marching bands

Year Performing Marching Bands
2013 A.I. DuPont Tiger Marching Band (Greenville, DE), Arab High School Marching Band (Arab, AL), Brentwood High School Band (Brentwood, TN), Central Carroll High School Marching Band (Carrolton, GA), Campaign Central High School Marching Marroons (Champaign, IL), East Mississippi Community College Marching Band (Scooba, MS), Greater Richmond Combined Marching Band (Richmond, VA), Jay County High School Band (Portland, IN), Nansemond River High School Magnificent Marching Warrior Band (Suffolk, VA), Naples High School Golden Eagle Marching Band (Naples, FL), Pennsbury High School Band (Fairless Hills, PA), The Pride of Southside High School (Southside, AL), Sullivan South High School Rebel Band (Kingsport, TN), Tournament of Bands All Star Marching Band (from 9 states), Ridge View High School Band (Columbia, SC), West Chester University Golden Rams Marching Band (West Chester, PA), Whiteland Community High School Marching Warriors (Whiteland, IN)[17]
2014 A.I. DuPont Tiger Maching Band (Greenville, DE), Tate High School Band (Cantonment, FL), Cardinal Regiment and Cardettes (Athlens, TX), Coffman High School Band (Dublin, OH), Tournament of Bands All-Star Band (from 14 states), Decatur Central High School Marching Band (Indianapolis, IN), Bellefontaine High School Band (Bellefontaine, OH), Athens Drive High School Band (Raleigh, NC), Georgia All Select High School Band (Georgia), Jerome High School Band (Dublin, OH), Freedom High School Band (Orlando, FL), Colquitt County High School Band (Moultrie, GA), Hartselle High School Band (Hartselle, AL), Albertville High School Band (Albertville, AL), Scioto High School Band (Dublin, OH), Destrehan High School Band (Destrehan, LA), Middletown - Appoquiniming combined High School Band (Middletown, DE), Brunswick High School Band (Brunswick, GA), Boardman High School Band (Youngstown, OH)[18]
2015 Tournament of Bands All-Star Marching Band (from 14 states), A.I. Dupont Tiger Marching Band (Greenville, DE), Smiths Station High School Panther Spirit Band (Smith Station, AL), Alan B. Shepard Marching Band (Palos Heights, IL), Pennsbury High School Marching Band (Fairless Hills, PA), The Sound of Brownsburg High School Marching Band (Brownsburg, IN), Laporte High School Marching Band (Laporte, IN), Jackson Memorial Jaguar Band (Jackson, NJ), Combined bands of Midland Valley and Silver Bluff High Schools (Granitville, SC), Fishers High School Maching Tiger Band (Fishers, IN), Riverview High School Band (Sarasota, FL), Oneonta High School Band (Oneonta, AL), Kutztown University Marching Unit (Kutztown, PA), Pendleton Heights High School Marching Band (Pendleton, IN), Heights Youth Club and Marching Band (Montego Bay - St. James, Jamaica)[19]
2016 A.I. DuPont High School Tiger Band (Greenville, DE), Anthony Wayne High School Marching Generals (Whitehouse, OH), Baldwin County All-Star Band (Baldwin County, AL), Brooks High School Marching Band (Killen, AL), Dwight Morrow High School Marching Band (Englewood, NJ), East Hills Middle School Band (Bethlehem, PA), Heights Marching Band (Montego Bay, Jamaica), Homewood High School Patriot Band (Homewood, AL), Huntsville High School Crimson Panther Marching Band (Huntsville, AL), Jonathan Adler High School Marching Band (Plain City, OH), North Augusta High School Jacket Regiment (North Augusta, SC), NorthWood High School Red Regiment (Nappanee, IN), Penn High School Marching Kingsmen (Mishawaka, IN), Pennsbury High School Marching Band (Fairless Hills, PA), The Pickens and Fannin Count High School Band (Jasper and Blue Ridge, GA), Rome High School Marching Band (Rome, GA), Tournament of Bands All Star Marching Band (from 9 states), Wayne County High School Marching Band (Jesup, GA), Winchester Community High School Band (Winchester, IN), Woodland High School Marching Band (Stockbridge, GA)[20]
2017
2018 A.I. DuPont High School Marching Band (Wilmington, DE), Bellefontaine High School Band (Delaware), Biloxi High School Band (Biloxi, MS), Bedford North Lawence Marching Stars (Bedford, IN), Bloomington North High School Band (Bloomington, IN), Braden River High School Band (Bradenton, FL), Brien McMahon High School Band (Norwalk, CT), Crestview High School Band (Crestview, FL), University of Delaware Band (Newark, DE), Defiance High School Band (Delaware), Dublin Jerome High School Band (Dublin, OH), Dublin Scioto Irish Band (Dublin, OH), Dublin Coffman Band (Dublin, OH), Lafayette Jefferson High School Band (Lafayette, IN), Lowndes High Marching Band (Valdosta, GA), Lenape Regional High School Band (Burlington County, NJ), Muskego High School Marching Band (Muskego, WI), Olentangy Orange High School Band (Lewis Center, OH), Pearl City High School Marching Band (Pearl City, HI), Pennsbury High School Band (Fairless Hills, PA), Tournament of Bands All Star Marching Band (from 9 states), Scotland County High School Band (Laurinburg, NC), Wyoming All-State Band (Wyoming)[21]
2019 A.I. DuPont High School Tiger Marching Band (Wilmington, DE), Bainbridge High School Marching Band (Bainbridge, GA), Ben Davis Marching Giants (Indianapolis), Brunswick Marching Pirates (Brunswick, GA), Colquitt County High School Band (Norman Park, GA), East Hills Middle School Band (Bethlehem, PA), Freedom Patriot Band (Bethlehem, PA), Gulf Coast High School Marching Sharks (Naples, FL), Guntersville High School Crimson Guard (Guntersville, AL), Jackson High School Marching Band (Ohio), Jacket Pride Marching Band (Denham Springs, LA), Kingsway Regional Marching Band (Gloucester County, NJ), Mary G. Montgomery High School Band (Semmes, AL), Morgantown High School Marching Band (Morgantown, WV), Pennsbury High School Band (Fairless Hills, PA), Pride of Portage Marching Band (Portage, IN), Spirit of Twin Lakes High School Band (Monticello, IN), Tournament of Bands All Star Marching Band (multiple states), University of New Hampshire Marching Band (Durham, NH), West Chester University Golden Rams Marching Band (West Chester, PA), White Knoll High School Band (Lexington,SC)[22]
2020 Event cancelled due to COVID-19
2021 Event cancelled due to COVID-19
2022 Clearview Regional High School Band (Gloucester County, NJ), Decatur Central High School Marching Band and Color Guard (Indianapolis), East Hills Middle School Marching Band (Bethlehem, PA), Jasper High School Band (Jasper, IN), Kingsway Regional High School Band (Gloucester County, NJ), Mount Vernon High School Marching Band (Indiana), Parkland High School Band (Allentown, PA), Pennsbury High School Marching Band (Fairless Hills, PA), Pocono Mountain East High School Band (Swiftwater, PA), Reynoldsburg Raider Marching Band (Reynoldsburg, OH), Salem High School Marching Band (Virginia), Whiteland Community High School Band (Whiteland, IN)[23]

6abc Dunkin' Donuts Holiday Food Drive

For more than 25 years,[24] WPVI-TV has partnered with the Boy Scouts of America Cradle of Liberty Council in their Scouting For Food program to collectively coordinate one of the most massive food drives in the nation.[25] (In recent years, until 2006, it was called the 6abc/Boy Scouts Holiday Food Drive). In 2006 the Holiday Food Drive amassed 120,000 lbs of food,[26] and for 2010 Boy Scouts troops' efforts led to the collection of over 40,000 pounds of food towards the cumulative total.[25] The food drive distributes paper bags to residents' homes and collection boxes at local stores in the region. A few weeks later, they are picked up and sent to help those in need at Thanksgiving and the end of year holidays. The Boy Scouts also go to the parade route every year and collect food from spectators. The parade and food drive sponsors are generally the same.[27] In June 2011, Dunkin' Donuts announced that they would also co-sponsor the food drive. Proceeds of the food drive currently benefit Philabundance.

See also

References

  1. ↑ WPVI 6abc web page announcing name change Archived 2012-08-06 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2011-10-20
  2. 1 2 "Pilgrims and parades: A brief history of Thanksgiving". Newsworks.org (WHYY). November 24, 2011. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  3. ↑ "BIG NEWS FOR THE 92nd 6abc THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE". 6abc.com. June 29, 2011. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  4. ↑ "WPVI 6abc web page announcing name change". 6abc.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-06. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  5. ↑ "6abc to hold 2020 Thanksgiving Day celebration in Philadelphia instead of parade". 6abc.com. ABC, Inc., WPVI-TV Philadelphia. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  6. 1 2 "WPVI-TV Station History". 6abc.com. July 21, 2011. Archived from the original on November 23, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  7. ↑ Roberts, Kimberly (November 17, 2011). "Thanksgiving Parade brings out the stars". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  8. ↑ "2020 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Celebration". 28 October 2020.
  9. ↑ "What's Hot 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade - November 16 - November 26". Radio Disney.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
  10. ↑ "2010 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade: Parade Balloons". 6abc.com. Archived from the original on November 22, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  11. ↑ "2011 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade: Parade Balloons". 6abc.com. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  12. ↑ "2012 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade: Parade Balloons". Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  13. ↑ "2014 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade: Parade Balloons". Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  14. ↑ "2015 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade: Parade Balloons". Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  15. ↑ "About the Thanksgiving Day Parade". Nov 18, 2018.
  16. ↑ "2021 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade: Parade Balloons". 19 October 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  17. ↑ "2013 6abc/ Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade". dig.abclocal.go.com. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  18. ↑ "2014 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade | 6abc.com". dig.abclocal.go.com. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  19. ↑ "6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade". dig.abclocal.go.com. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  20. ↑ "2016 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade". dig.abclocal.go.com. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  21. ↑ "About the Thanksgiving Day Parade". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  22. ↑ "Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade on 6abc Guide 2019: Here's what you need to know". 6abc Philadelphia. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  23. ↑ "Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania". marching.com. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  24. ↑ "6abc and Boy Scouts Team up for 21st Straight Year!". 6abc.com. November 11, 2006. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  25. 1 2 "Scouting For Food". Cradle of Liberty Council, Boy Scouts of America. Archived from the original on 2012-01-01. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  26. ↑ "6abc Holiday Food Drive". 6abc.com. November 12, 2007. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  27. ↑ "6ABC IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade", Visit Philly Website
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