PHILADELPHIA, PA — Just weeks before it celebrates its 125th anniversary, the Philadelphia Mummers Parade has been named the best holiday parade in the country by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, securing top national honors for the third time.
The announcement arrives as Philadelphia prepares for a monumental 2026 — a year that will mark both the parade’s milestone celebration and the kickoff to the city’s Philadelphia 250 festivities. Organizers say the recognition underscores the parade’s unmatched cultural legacy, theatrical spectacle, and deeply rooted place in American folk tradition.
Each New Year’s Day, hundreds of thousands gather along Broad Street to watch performances from the Fancy, Wench, Comic, and world-renowned String Band divisions. The parade, sponsored once again by Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, is recognized as one of the nation’s longest-running cultural events, dating back to 1901.
“Being named the best holiday parade in the nation is the perfect way to kick off a landmark year,” said Jake Joyce, senior vice president of marketing at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia. He called the honor a point of pride as the city prepares to take center stage for its 250th anniversary celebrations.
Sam Regalbuto, president of the String Band Association, said the national recognition comes at a fitting moment. “The Mummers’ history is unmatched,” he said. “Our New Year’s Day performance will celebrate that legacy while building excitement for this historic year in Philadelphia.”
The 2026 Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia Mummers Parade is scheduled for Thursday, January 1, beginning at City Hall at 9 a.m. and traveling south to Washington Avenue until 7 p.m. Judging will take place on the west side of City Hall and at Dilworth Plaza, with grandstand seating available through the Philadelphia Independence Visitor Center. Performances will unfold along Broad Street, with special viewing areas at 17th and Market, Samson, Pine, and Carpenter streets.
This year’s parade lineup includes one Fancy Club, 10 Wench Brigades, three Comic clubs, and 14 String Bands, each preparing elaborate Broadway-style productions. Fans can also visit staging areas beginning at 11 a.m. on Market Street and JFK Boulevard to see bands rehearse and make final costume adjustments before stepping off.
Thanks to renewed support from Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, the parade will be broadcast live across the Delaware Valley and into the Poconos via WDPN-TV (MeTV2), WFMZ-TV, WFMZ.com, and multiple streaming platforms including WFMZ+, ZEAM, FrndlyTV, NewsOn, and LocalNow.
Returning on-air hosts Larry Mendte and Dawn Stensland will anchor the broadcast, joined by Megan McFarland providing commentary for the Comics, Wenches, and Fancy divisions, and Jim Donio for String Bands. Mummers Museum curator Mark Montanaro and String Band Association president Sam Regalbuto will offer additional insight throughout the coverage.
To mark the 125th anniversary, limited-edition commemorative merchandise — including an exclusive ornament, plushie, and parade t-shirts — will be available online and at Shop Live! inside Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia.
The parade’s historic roots stretch back to 17th-century European folk traditions and rowdy neighborhood celebrations that evolved into Philadelphia’s signature New Year’s Day spectacle. After the city formally organized the event in 1901, the Mummers Parade became the longest continuously running folk parade in the world.
Additional festivities are planned for 2026, including a January 10 celebration at the Mummers Museum recognizing the parade as America’s first folk parade under the “52 Weeks of Firsts” initiative.
Sponsorship opportunities and donation information for the upcoming parade can be found at PhiladelphiaMummersParade.com and donatemummers.com.
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