Mummers string band competition has been ‘suspended’ because of high winds but the bands are still marching

Weather concerns have snarled Philadelphia’s New Year’s Day plans.

The string band competition has been “suspended until further notice,” the Philadelphia Mummers Parade and Philadelphia String Band Association announced Thursday morning.

High winds, “wind damage during unloading and setup and safety concerns” prompted the call, officials said in a statement.

“In the spirit of celebrating New Year’s Day and this important milestone for our city and nation, the String Bands will all still march in full costume and makeup and perform for TV, internet, and live audiences on Broad Street and City Hall,” the statement said. “They will march without props. Times and order will remain the same. Safety of performers is of utmost importance when making this decision.”

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the iconic parade.

Sam Regalbuto, president of the String Band Association, said that the clubs were caught off-guard by “the squalls that came through, the wind changes that happened without us knowing.”

Several club members were sent to hospitals with minor injuries sustained during attempted setup this morning, Regalbuto said. All have been treated and released.

“We’ve lost sets, we’ve lost props that we’ve worked 365 days to put together to bring you the best possible string band spectacular that we do every year,” he said. “It was very hard for all of us, as a unit, to make this decision.”

The call came after String Band Association delegates voted on whether to postpone, Regalbuto said.

Ultimately, “we just think, safety, safety, safety, first,” he said.

It was important to clubs to still put on a show for those fans who are crowding Philadelphia streets expecting to see Mummers, said Regalbuto. Though there will be no props, the string bands will “still come in full costume, full makeup, and entertain you, the viewers, at home, and our fans here on the parade route. So please, if you’re thinking of not coming, we’re here. We are performing for you, and we will give you the best show that we can possibly give you.”

Nick Guzzo, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, said snow squalls and wind “did not come out of nowhere.”

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a warning for snow squalls between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. Thursday.

“Snow squalls can produce intense bursts of heavy snow and gusty winds, resulting in rapidly reduced visibility and poor road conditions, making travel difficult and potentially dangerous. Extra care should be taken as a result with any travel early on New Year’s Day,” officials wrote on Wednesday.

Regalbuto said the string bands were closely monitoring hourly weather updates and city messages overnight, but were expecting lesser winds, and gusts, not the sustained wind blasts that ultimately came “shooting from City Hall, straight up Market, and straight up JFK.”

Because the string bands are essentially “a mobile Broadway show,” with heavy, elaborate pieces that require significant work to install, that setup began in the predawn hours, at about 5 a.m., Regalbuto said.

It became apparent quickly that a Thursday string band competition would be dangerous.

Winds “destroyed multiple sets for different organizations,” he said. “We did everything precaution wise — sandbags, and all of that. But as they were trying to assemble, things were just being ripped out of our hands.”

It was then that Regalbuto convened his delegation. The vote was clear.

“We knew that there was already an unfair advantage, because some clubs had already lost their sets,” he said.

Weather reports called for gusts of up to 30 miles per hour well into the afternoon.

“We just had to batten down the hatches,” Regalbuto said.

A rescheduled competition, Regalbuto said, will be held “very soon” at a to-be-determined venue once logistics and financials are worked out. Planning meetings will begin Friday.