Nothing rains on their parade

UNDER A clear blue sky, the glitter-drenched Mummers strutted into 2010 yesterday, bidding farewell to a year of economic strife and anxiety.

"It was a tough year, let's knock 2009 on the a - -," said Jeff Travaglio, 48, a 25-year veteran of the parade who stepped out with the South Side Shooters comic brigade, part of the Goodtimers club.

Tensions rose in recent days as the Mummers tried to negotiate a contract with the city and the weather threatened to not cooperate. But the 110th New Year's Day Mummers Parade went off seemingly without a hitch. The sun shone, the costumed clubs started on time and the confetti-coated crowds were happy.

Mayor Nutter said he took the day as a good omen.

"For all that happened in 2009, the economic crisis, parades, weather - the sun is out. It's great out here," said Nutter, who appeared on the parade route shortly after 1 p.m. "It's a great way to start the year."

The Mummers competed yesterday in all four traditional categories. The clownish comics, ornately costumed fancies and the show-stopping string bands all marched down Broad Street before performing for judges outside City Hall. The fancy brigades performed their elaborate production numbers for ticketed crowds at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

"I've never seen anything like this. We don't have this in Texas," said Laura Smith, 27, who just moved to Philadelphia from Dallas. She took in the parade with her mother on Broad Street near Walnut.

The parade kicked off promptly at 10 a.m. with the comics at Broad and Washington. Events of the year were a common theme. The Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" inspired one comic brigade. Another did a tribute to the Philadelphia Fire Department, taking a dig at Mayor Nutter's budget cuts earlier this year.

And the Happy Tappers comic brigade, part of the Goodtimers club, did a tribute to Harry Kalas, the Phillies announcer who died this past year.

"We're all Phillies fans and we're saddened by his death," said Dan Smith, 47, who has captained the group for 17 years. "[We did this] so nobody forgets about him."

After the comics, crowds oohed and aahead at the ornate floats and feathered costumes of the fancies, before packing the stands at City Hall for the string band production numbers. The Fralinger club, the longtime champions, wowed the cheering fans with a snappy number about the legendary rivalry between the Hatfields and the McCoys.

Fans said the parade lived up to their New Year's Day expectations.

Heide Lederman, 44, said she moved away from the Philadelphia region five years ago for Mississippi. But this year, she had to come back to show the parade to two foreign exchange students she was hosting.

"The was an American tradition they had to see," Lederman said. "It never changes. It just gets better and better every year."

No crowd estimates were available for the parade, which lasted about seven hours.

The Mummers have agreed to pay $148,017 to the city for costs associated with the parade, like police and sanitation. About $107,000 is being provided through fundraising by U.S. Rep. Bob Brady and Councilmen Jim Kenney and Frank DiCicco.

Last year, the city said that it would no longer provide prize money for the parade and established a new policy requiring that special events pay for their own costs. Because the announcement was made late in the year, the city agreed to cover $300,000 in Mummers Parade expenses for 2009.