(Clockwise from bottom left) Philly Beer Week, Sunoco Welcome America! on the Fourth of July; and the Philadelphia International Flower Show. (Photos by G. Widman and J. Smith)
With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, we’ve all been reflecting on those large-scale events that grace Philadelphia every year. From the ridiculous (Wing Bowl, anyone?) to the sacred (the only-in-Philly Mummers Parade), these events keep our calendars full and Philadelphia’s traditions going — and all of us celebrating, year after year.
Dear Organized-Event-Goers,
Sparkling Mummers. A gardening mecca. A week of beer. Music galore. Fun annual events and festivals give reasons to visit all year long.
1. Thanksgiving Day Parades are a national staple, but the oldest (and might we say, most festive) takes place in Philadelphia, a tradition dating back to 1920.
2. While the tradition dates back to the 1700s, the first official Mummers Parade was held on New Year’s Day 1901. Every January 1, thousands of Mummers in four divisions — Comic, Fancy, String Bands and Fancy Brigades — strut up Broad Street as tens of thousands of cheering spectators keep warm with hot drinks and warm soft pretzels.
3. The Philadelphia International Flower Show, the world’s largest indoor flower show, blooms every March.
4. Founded in 1962, The Philadelphia Antiques Show is one of the longest-running antiques shows in the country and is internationally acclaimed as the premier American antiques and decorative arts show.
5. PrideFest began in 1993 and has grown to an international week-long event. Now known as Equality Forum, the gay and lesbian event occurs every May and features dozens of substantive programs and more than a few fabulous parties.
6. The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, taking place in late spring, is the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed horse competition.
(From left) Philadelphia's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Mummers Parade on New Year's Day. (Photos by J. McWilliams for the PCVB and R. Kennedy)
7. In June, Philly Beer Week celebrates and highlights the region’s local breweries with more than 290 different suds-related activities.
8. Every June 16 — also known as Bloomsday — fans of James Joyce gather on Delancey Place as local celebs stage a day-long reading of his classic Ulysses.
9. Thousands of people enjoy music, crafts, artistic performances and the procession to the Schuylkill River during the June Odunde African-American Festival Weekend, one of the oldest and largest festivals celebrating African culture.
10. Philadelphia’s Sunoco Welcome America! Fourth of July festival hosts the nation’s largest free outdoor concert.
11. Every weekend throughout the summer, Penn’s Landing hosts free international festivals featuring food, crafts and entertainment.
This Thanksgiving, We’re Thankful For… [uwishunu]
The Official Philly Brag Book [gophila.com]
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