Performances from ‘Annie,’ ‘Nutcracker’ at Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade

From Silver Springs Art & Entertainment District:

The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade, televised live from downtown Silver Spring, features three broadway-style performance excerpts of “Annie” and Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite,” as well as over 100 marching units, including marching bands, floats, and inflatables. Stepping off on Saturday, November 19 at 10am, the 19th Annual Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade route goes from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring, south on Georgia Avenue to Silver Spring Avenue.

Emcee ABC7/WJLA Meteorologist Brian Van De Graaff, will announce the parade and introduce the “Annie” performances by Bravo Productions and MTC Adventure Theater, as well as Maryland Youth Ballet’s Nutcracker Suite performance. Parade units will consist of eight marching bands; glittering Thanksgiving and Christmas floats; a 12-foot inflatable turkey and penguin; the Montgomery County Recreation “T-Recs” 12-foot dinosaur; beauty queens; fire engines; and performing dog and rescue animal groups. As always, the Parade will culminate with Santa’s float playing holiday music and featuring the smiling, rosy-cheeked elf, sharing his candy canes.

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

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.

Volunteering

The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is always looking for volunteers to be elves and pilgrims on floats, reindeer and penguins in the parade. The parade needs volunteers, aged 13 and older, to dress up in costume, to serve as unit leaders, and to be inflatable and balloon handlers. The hours for volunteers are from 7:30am to 1:30pm(volunteers need to be present the entire six hours) on Saturday, November 19. Volunteers meet at the Silver Spring Civic Building at One Veterans Place at Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street.

Parking Information

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

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.

Broadcast live at 10am on NewsChannel 8, the parade will be aired again several times on Thanksgiving Day.

Photo Courtesy of Silver Spring Arts & Entertainment District