Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade 2017: Time, Route, Parking

SILVER SPRING, MD — The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade, televised live from downtown Silver Spring, celebrates its 20-year anniversary on November 18, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This free, family-fun event includes marching bands, musical groups, floats, inflatables and more.

Stepping off at 10 a.m., the parade route goes from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring, south on Georgia Avenue to Silver Spring Avenue.

Parade units will consist of college and high school marching band, glittering Thanksgiving and Christmas floats, theatrical performances, ethnic musical groups, the 12-foot inflatable turkey parade logo, a 12-foot penguin, motorcycles and horse-mounted police, the Montgomery County Recreation "T-Recs" 12-foot dinosaur, beauty queens, fire engines, antique cars, performing dogs and rescue animal groups, clowns and so much more.

As always, the Parade will culminate with Santa's float playing holiday music and featuring the smiling, rosy-cheeked elf, tossing candy canes to the eager crowd.

The parade began in 1997, when Silver Spring was experiencing its revitalization, according to a county press release. Susan Hoffmann, then marketing manager of the Silver Spring Regional Center, suggested a holiday parade to engage the community and enliven activity in downtown Silver Spring. It is a tradition that still goes strong, attracting approximately 10,000 people each year.

"Ike Leggett and Montgomery County have always been very supportive of events which build community and help boost the economic impact of our County," said Hoffmann, now marketing manager for Montgomery County Recreation.

ABC7 Meteorologist Brian Van de Graaff will return to emcee the parade. The parade will be broadcasted live at 10 a.m. on NewsChannel 8 and will be aired again several times on Thanksgiving Day.

Holiday Family Photos and Selfies

This year on Veterans Plaza, the parade offers a place to take your family holiday photos. Right next to the ice rink, you can take your photo with inflatable turkeys, penguins, "Frozen's" Elsa, or with Hanukkah or Christmas décor. All parade selfies marked with the hashtag #MoCoThanksParade will be broadcast on the jumbotron at Ellsworth and Fenton along the parade route.

Parking Information — Ellsworth Town Center Garage is CLOSED

The northbound lanes of Georgia Avenue, from East-West Highway to Colesville Road will close at 7am and re-open at the conclusion of the parade, about 1pm.

Free parking will be available in the public garages including the Wayne Avenue Garage, the Sligo Avenue Garage, the Cameron Street Garage, and the Bonifant Street Garage next to Metro. The Ellsworth Town Center garage is closed that day. Parade goers are encouraged to take the Metro/Red Line to the Silver Spring station, just west of Georgia Avenue, across from the Discovery building.

The Town Center public parking garage at Ellsworth Drive will close at 2 a.m. Saturday morning to accommodate the parade.

Road Closures

These roads will be closed from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the day of the parade:

• Northbound and southbound lanes of Georgia Avenue between East-West Highway and Colesville Road
• Cedar Avenue between Colesville Road and Wayne Avenue
• Pershing Drive from Cedar Avenue to Veterans Place
• Veterans Place from Pershing Drive to Ellsworth Drive
• Ellsworth Drive from Georgia Avenue to Cedar Avenue
• Roeder Road from Fenton Street to Cedar Avenue
• Fenton Street from Colesville Road to Wayne Avenue
• Wayne Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street
• Bonifant Street from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street
• Thayer Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street
• Silver Spring Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street

Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation is posting road closure and detour signage along the roadways impacted by the parade route. The following streets and the Town Center Parking garage must be cleared of parked vehicles for units to line-up or pass beginning at 2 a.m. on Saturday, November 18:

• Cedar Avenue
• Pershing Drive
• Roeder Road
• Ellsworth Drive
• Georgia Avenue
• Veterans Place

In addition, the Wayne Avenue Garage closes at 8 a.m. on Saturday, November 18. If you have questions about these road closures or parking, call MC311 at 3-1-1. If you are telephoning from outside of Montgomery County, call 240-777-0311.

The parade will be held rain or shine. For more information, call 240.777.0311 or visit www.silverspringdowntown.com.

Image Courtesy of Montgomery Co.