Good old-fashioned cheer at Philly Thanksgiving Parade

Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day parade unfolded much like the 102 that preceded it — to the enthusiasm of everyone in attendance.

Crowds swarmed around John F. Kennedy Boulevard and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, vendors hawked soft pretzels and cotton candy, and floats bearing the likenesses of cartoon characters were buffeted around Center City’s skyscraper canyons.

“It’s the same thing every year, maybe a little different each time, but that’s why we come,” said Dustin DeFazio, as his daughter watched a passing marching band from a blanket-swaddled rolling pull cart. “We’ve been coming for 19 years, it’s a tradition.”

As DeFazio spoke, a huge blue and white abominable snowman roved into view, to chants of “Spin It!, Spin It” from the crowd.

“Making them spin, that’s the best part,” said DeFazio, of Bucks County, as the snowman wobbled in a circular fashion to cheers from the crowd.

Although the Mayor’s Office does not compile crowd estimates for major events, according to city spokesman Kevin Lessard, several attendees said this year’s parade felt closer to the size and spirit of pre-COVID-19 events.

» READ MORE: See photos of Philadelphia’s 2022 Thanksgiving Day Parade

Few people mentioned the pandemic at all, and fewer wore masks. West Philadelphia resident Aoife O’Farrell, wearing an N95, said that as long as people were vaccinated and boosted she thought the crowds were safe.

“I work near a hospital, so I’m being as cautious as possible,” said O’Farrell, who is from California originally, and noted that this was her first time at the parade. “I wasn’t able to make it home for Thanksgiving and I saw it was on, so I figured what the hell I’ll check it out,” she said. “It’s chill, it’s relaxed, it doesn’t seem like folks are stressed out about anything.”

Gina Savage, also of West Philadelphia, said her family is new to the parade, too. This is only their second year attending, but in a lawn chair wreathed in blankets she looked like an old hand at the event.

“We decided to start getting away from just cooking, and [actually] enjoying Thanksgiving. So we started coming out last year and it’s going to be a tradition from now on,” she said. The rest of the day, she added, would be devoted to heating up premade food, eating with family, and visiting friends around the neighborhood.

Savage praised the high school and middle school marching bands, some of whom came from as far away as Indiana and Ohio. Other spectacles included the “Woodside One Wheeler’s Unicycle Team,” from Maine, and the Pennsylvania-based “County Corvette Club.” A lone mail truck represented the U.S. Postal Service. Celebrities included Quinta Brunson and Sheryl Lee Ralph, stars of Abbott Elementary.

On the sidelines, the crowd hummed with good cheer, as spectators sipped hot coffee and more than a few cold beers. On the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where the crowds had more room to maneuver, families grilled up breakfast sandwiches and hot dogs. Lawn tables groaned under the weight of juice cartons, coffee thermoses, and champagne bottles as people steeled themselves for the long day of merrymaking ahead.

For Austin Winterle, and his family, the Thanksgiving Day parade is but the first step in their annual trek across the region for the holiday. Waking up at 7:30 in Delaware County, they pack their cars and drive into town to secure their usual spot on the route, where Cherry Street meets the Parkway.

After partying and cheering the morning away, they head to Sea Isle City where Winterle’s aunt hosts dinner.

“We are pretty simple people, we like family, we like hanging out with each other, getting up early, getting down here, getting our same spot every year,” said Winterle. “And I’m a fan of the Eagles cheerleaders — I’m a big Eagles fan myself — and I usually get a couple good photos with them.”