Mummers Parade a New Year’s tradition

The 2017 Philadelphia Mummers Parade will kick off on Sunday, Jan. 1, with an assortment of colorfully costumed musicians and flamboyant performances representing Mummers traditions both old and in the making.

Mummers fans are invited to Broad Street where the Mummers Parade kicks off at City Hall at 9 am. Spectators can enjoy the parade from three special performance zones as more than 10,000 glittering and colorful Mummers strut and dance down Broad Street. The parade route will take the performing groups down Broad Street from City Hall to Washington Avenue. The main performance area is at City Hall (15th Street and JFK Boulevard) with additional performance zones located at the Creative and Performing Arts School (901 S. Broad St.) and also at Broad Street and Washington Avenue.

Parade Lineup

The 2017 Philadelphia Mummers Parade will include five divisions, each with its own artistry, sound and customs. Starting at 9 a.m., leading the parade is Golden Sunrise Fancy Club, which is the last remaining Fancy club in the Philadelphia Mummers Association. Next, at approximately 9:30 a.m., will be the men of the Wench brigades, clad in bonnets and bloomers, and waving multi-tiered parasols. Then at about 10:30 a.m. it’s the Comics, who often parody current political issues and pop culture.

Following the Comics, stepping off at about 1 p.m., are the highlight of the parade — the egendary String Bands with their glorious costumes and elaborately themed presentations. They will perform for the judges at City Hall and then march down Broad Street entertaining the crowds with their intricate musical arrangements combining

string, reed and percussion instruments. Interspersed among the String Bands in the parade on Broad Street will be the Fancy Brigades, hot off their mid-day performance at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, dressed head-to-toe in sequined costumes, masks and makeup.

More Cultural Diversity on Display

Marching among the Comics this year are some returning groups whomade their Mummers debut in the 2016 parade:

• San Mateo Carnavaleros, a joyful, raucous group of vibrant costumed dancers showcasing their Mexican heritage

• The Miss Fancy Brigade, an LGBT group comprised of the leading female impersonators in Philadelphia

• Second 2 None, an African-American precision drill team from West Philadelphia

Plus, there are two new additions to this year’s Mummers Parade:

• Southeast By Southeast, a community-based group showcasing the dance and music of Philadelphia’s Southeast Asian population

• Philadelphia Pan Stars Steel Orchestra, a Trinidadian steel drum band based in the City’s Elmwood neighborhood, specializing in the sweet sound of “pan” (as it’s known in Trinidad)

Fancy Brigade Finale

Sometimes described as a cross between a Broadway show and Mardi Gras, the indoor Mummers Fancy Brigade Finale, with its elaborate costumes and massive props, is a 2.5hour, stunning, colorful, high-energy showcase of 12 masterfully choreographed, four-and-a-half-minute routines to high-energy music. More than 2,500 Fancy

SUBMITTED PHOTO — PHILADELPHIA MUMMERS

The annual Philadelphia Mummers Parade will step off Jan. 1.

Brigade performers, divided among 12 Fancy Brigade clubs, with each working for one full year to create the themes, costumes, props and drills that comprise the show and dazzle the audiences.

Visitors have two chances to see the indoor Fancy Brigade Finale spectacle on New Year’s Day; The Mummers Fancy Brigade Association presents a family show at 11:30 a.m. and an identical, second show at 5 p.m. Both shows take place in Hall B of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 11th Arch streets, in Philadelphia. Leading up to the event, MummersFest, a four-day, family festival from Friday, Dec. 28 to 31, 2016, provides a sneak peek into the making of the Mummers Fancy Brigade Finale.

Tickets for the Mummers Fancy Brigade Finale at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 11th and Arch streets in Philadelphia, are on sale.

Reserved, center section tickets for the 11:30 a.m. family show and the 5 p.m. judged show are $25; reserved seats and the two side sections are $20. Tickets for groups of 15 or more are $18 and $23. Groups greater than 45 receive two complimentary tickets. Children ages 3 and younger are admitted free. Food and refreshments are available for purchase at

both shows.

To order tickets, visit spectratix. com or call 1-800-298-4200. Tickets can also be purchased at the Independent Visitors Center. For information on booking a group tour with the Mummers Fancy Brigades, contact Brittany De Meo via email at brittany.demo@yahoo.com.

MummersFest

Another family friendly activity for fans is MummersFest at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, a four-day interactive, family friendly festival running from Friday, Dec. 28, through Monday, Dec. 31. For just $4, attendees can make-n-take crafts, try on authentic Mummers costumes for picture taking and watch the clubs rehearse their drills. Knowledgeable, parade savvy veteran Mummers, all former club captains, lead 30-minute backstage tours of the show props and floats.

MummersFest hours are: Wednesday, Dec. 28, 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Thursday, Dec. 29, 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 30, 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 31, noon to 6 p.m.. Tickets are available at the door of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, at the Independent Visitors Center and via Spectratix.

For more information, visitphillymummers.com.