America's Hometown Thanksgiving Parade facts for kids
The America's Hometown Thanksgiving Parade is a special yearly parade. It takes place in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This parade started in 1996. It happens the weekend before Thanksgiving. Plymouth is famous because the Pilgrims landed there. They celebrated the "First Thanksgiving" in the early 1620s.
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What Makes This Parade Special?
Most Thanksgiving parades feature giant balloons of popular characters. The America's Hometown parade is different. It has a strict theme. Every part of the parade is based on the history of the United States. Everything is arranged in chronological order. This means it goes from oldest to newest events.
A Journey Through History
The parade is divided into five main parts. Each part represents a different century.
- The first part shows the colonial period. This is from the 17th century.
- Next comes the Revolutionary period. This covers the 18th century.
- Then you'll see the Civil War and pioneer times. These are from the 19th century.
- After that, there are military and automotive displays. These represent the 20th and 21st centuries.
- The parade ends with a special closing division. This includes the traditional Santa Claus float.
More Than Just a Parade
The parade is part of a bigger event. It's called the America's Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration. This celebration includes many fun activities.
- There's a Turkey Trot race.
- You can enjoy concerts.
- There's also a lively street fair.
The 2020 Parade: A Unique Year
The full event did not happen in 2020. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The organizers thought this was a strange coincidence. It happened exactly 400 years after the winter of 1620 and 1621. During that time, the Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony faced great sickness and hardship.
