It's crunch time for Philly to prepare for the 106th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the city on Monday released details about performers, road closures and where to watch the oldest event of its kind in the country.
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Thursday's spectacle will be broadcast on 6abc, starting with a preshow at 8:30 a.m. The event, which kicks off at 9 a.m., will also be streamed on Hulu or ABCNewsLive.
Here's everything to know about the 2025 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade:
What's the forecast?
While it will be chilly, with the high around 44 degrees, the forecast calls for mostly sunny skies before temperatures could drop below freezing on Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service.
What's the route?
The parade, which is free to attend, will start at 20th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard and move eastbound to 16th Street. From there, it will head north and make its way to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Then, the procession will move west on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, circle around Eakins Oval to Kelly Drive and disperse at the intersection of Kelly Drive and Spring Garden Extension near the Philadelphia Art Museum.
Fireworks, alcohol, gas grills, and drones are prohibited along the parade route.
Who will be on the broadcast and in the parade?
The TV broadcast will be hosted by an "Action News" team of Rick Williams, Alicia Vitarelli, Cecily Tynan, Karen Rogers and Adam Joseph. They will be joined throughout the program by special guests including "Good Morning America" weather anchor Sam Champion, TV personality Carson Kressley, "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, the cast of "Abbott Elementary" and "Jeopardy!" host Ken Jennings.
In the parade, there will be music by Motown legends Four Tops, singer-songwriter David Archuleta and "American Idol" star Jordin Sparks. Ensemble Arts Philly will also sing numbers from "Beauty and the Beast," "The Sound of Music" and "Hadestown," and there will be performances from the Philadelphia Orchestra, Philadelphia Ballet and marching bands.
Road Closures
Temporary road closures began Monday evening for parade setup and street rehearsals. The traffic patterns will be restored to normal no later than 3 p.m. Thursday. Travelers are advised to avoid the parade's route as much as possible and to allow for extra commute time.
On Monday and Tuesday, Eakins Oval will be closed between Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive from 6:30 p.m to 11 p.m. The same stretch will also be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday.
On Wednesday, roads along the parade route will close in succession starting at 4 p.m. and reopen after the parade's conclusion Thursday afternoon.
• At 4 p.m., the inner lanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, from 21st to 20th streets will be closed.
• At 6:30 p.m., Eakins Oval will be closed.
• At 7 p.m., the inbound lanes of John F. Kennedy Boulevard from 20th to 30th streets will be closed.
• At 8 p.m., outbound lanes of John F. Kennedy Boulevard from 20th Street to 30th Street Station will be closed.
Roads near the parade route will begin closing in the early morning hours on Thanksgiving Day.
• At 12 a.m., JFK Boulevard will be closed from 30th to 16th streets.
• At 2 a.m., 20th Street will be closed from Ben Franklin Parkway to Race Street.
• At 2 a.m., Market Street will be closed between 19th and 20th streets.
• At 5 a.m., 20th Street will be closed from JFK Boulevard to Arch Street.
• At 6 a.m., 20th Street will be closed from Market Street to Ben Franklin Parkway.
• At 6 a.m., Market Street will be closed from 19th to 22nd streets.
• At 7 a.m., Kelly Drive will be closed from Sedgley Drive to Eakins Oval.
• At 7:30 a.m., the parade route will be closed to all traffic.
Parking restrictions and SEPTA detours
Temporary no parking signs will be posted on both sides of the following streets unless marked otherwise starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Vehicles parked in these locations will be relocated by city authorities.
• JFK Boulevard from 19th to 30th streets
• 20th Street from Market Street to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• Arch Street from 19th to 22nd streets
• Race Street from 16th to 17th streets
• 17th Street from Vine to Race streets
• Vine Street eastbound lanes from 15th to 17th streets
• Market Street from 19th to 22nd streets
• Paschall Avenue from 62nd to 63rd streets
SEPTA will be operating on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day. Riders can check updated information about route detours or changes to service on the authority's system status page, app or social media.
The following routes will be detoured from their normal routes Thursday from around 2 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Bus rotes 2, 7, 17, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43, 44, 48, 49, 124 and 125
• L1 OWL
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