6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade
Parade logo with Dunkin' Donuts' co-sponsorship introduced in 2011
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of episodes	104 (as of November 23, 2023)
Production
Production location(s)	20th and JFK Boulevard, and then across JFK Boulevard, around Philadelphia City Hall, across the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and ending at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Running time	3.5 hours (with commercials)
Production company(s)	1920–1985: Gimbels 1986–present: WPVI 1986–2007: Boscov's 2008–2010: IKEA 2011–present: Dunkin' Donuts
Release
Original network	6abc (WPVI-TV)
Original release	November 25, 1920 (1920-11-25) – present

The 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade is a big yearly parade held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It happens every Thanksgiving Day. The parade is currently supported and shown on TV by WPVI-TV, which is an ABC station. They work with the restaurant chain Dunkin' to put on the event.

This parade is the oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States. It has been held every year since 1920, even through tough times like the Great Depression and World War II. The parade was first started by the Gimbels department store. The Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade continued until the store closed in 1986.

Parade History

How the Parade Started (20th Century)

Parade logo during Boscov's title sponsorship

The parade's logo, introduced in 2008 with IKEA's sponsorship of the parade

The yearly Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1920. It is the longest parade of its kind that has happened every year without stopping. Like other big parades, it features giant balloons, colorful floats, high school marching bands, and famous people.

The Gimbels department store first sponsored the parade in 1920. It was called the Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade. It kept going every year, even during World War II.

Ellis Gimbel, one of the people who started Gimbels stores, wanted his toy section to be a popular place for holiday shoppers. He had over 50 store workers dress up in costumes for the first parade. The parade had floats and marchers who walked down Market Street. The parade ended with Santa Claus arriving at Gimbels' eighth-floor toy department. He even climbed a ladder from a Philadelphia Fire Department truck!

Gimbels got the idea from other holiday parades. For example, the Santa Claus Parade in Peoria, Illinois, started in 1887. It is the oldest continuous holiday parade in the country. It takes place the day after Thanksgiving.

When the Gimbels store chain closed in 1986, the future of the parade was uncertain. Then, Boscov's, a family-owned department store, and WPVI (6abc) stepped in. WPVI is an ABC TV station in Philadelphia. They took over sponsoring the parade. They changed its name to the 6abc Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Parade in the 21st Century

In 2004, the parade celebrated its 85th birthday. It had new balloons and floats. The opening show honored famous people who had been part of the parade over the years. In 2005, it had the most stars ever, plus eight new balloons. In 2007, the parade showed off the first-ever float with a built-in ice rink. Disney's High School Musical: The Ice Tour used this special rink.

In 2008, Boscov's Department Stores faced money problems. They had to stop sponsoring the parade. IKEA, a Swedish furniture company, then became the parade sponsor. IKEA sponsored the parade from 2008 to 2010.

In 2011, Dunkin' Donuts announced they would sponsor the parade. Now, the parade features balloons, marching bands, and ABC Network celebrities. You can also see stars from movies and TV, Disney characters, and local famous people. The Action News team members from 6abc also join in.

In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the parade was only shown on TV. It was called the 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Celebration. It had changes similar to the Macy's and America's Thanksgiving Parades. The parade went back to its usual outdoor format in 2021.

Watching the Parade on TV

Since 1966, the parade has been shown on WPVI. Other TV stations across the United States also show it at the same time. People all over the world can watch the parade online on 6abc.com. Good Morning America, ABC's national morning news show, sends a reporter to the event each year. They cover the fun leading up to the parade.

In recent years, Good Morning America weather anchors like Sam Champion and Ginger Zee have helped host the parade.

Jim O'Brien was the first host of the TV show. Dave Roberts became a regular host when he joined the station in 1978. After Jim O'Brien passed away in 1983, WPVI's Lisa Thomas-Laury became Dave Roberts' co-host. They hosted the parade together for almost 20 years.

When Lisa Thomas-Laury had health issues in 2002, WPVI weather anchor Cecily Tynan took her place. In 2006, the parade was shown in high-definition for the first time.

Lisa Thomas-Laury returned to help host the end of the parade in 2005 and 2006. In 2009, Dave Roberts retired from broadcasting. Lisa Thomas-Laury made a special appearance to celebrate his many years as host. The current hosts are Cecily Tynan and WPVI news anchor Rick Williams.

Parade Balloons

Balloons in the parade are made to look like many different characters. These include characters from children's books, folk tales, and toys. You can also see characters from comic books, cartoons, and TV shows like Sesame Street. Over the years, more and more balloons have featured characters that are also popular toys or game characters.

Stars, Performers, and Acts

Besides the famous balloons and floats, the parade also has live music and other shows. High school marching bands from all over the country take part. The TV broadcasts feature performances by popular singers and bands. You can also see local celebrities and actors from ABC shows.

Since 1997, the parade has included a tap dance routine called "FanTAPulous." More than 450 dancers from the East Coast perform this routine. Other special guests include winners of state and national beauty contests. Cheerleaders from major sports teams and casts from musicals playing in Philadelphia also appear. Of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus are always there too!

Marching Bands

6abc Dunkin' Donuts Holiday Food Drive

For over 25 years, WPVI-TV has worked with the Boy Scouts of America Cradle of Liberty Council. They team up for the Scouting For Food program. This program helps organize one of the biggest food drives in the country.

In 2006, the Holiday Food Drive collected 120,000 pounds of food. In 2010, Boy Scouts collected over 40,000 pounds of food. The food drive gives paper bags to homes and puts collection boxes in local stores. A few weeks later, the food is picked up. It is then sent to help people in need during Thanksgiving and other end-of-year holidays.

The Boy Scouts also go to the parade route every year. They collect food from people watching the parade. The parade and food drive usually have the same sponsors. In 2011, Dunkin' Donuts also became a co-sponsor of the food drive. The food collected now helps Philabundance, an organization that fights hunger.

See also

• Mummers Parade
• Wawa Welcome America
• Santa Claus parades
• List of Christmas and holiday season parades