Mummers strut their stuff to kick off 2016 in a festive way
PHILADELPHIA >> Now the second year in practice, the reversed trail of the Mummers Parade has officially ended the reference of “going up Broad Street.”
Rather than starting at Oregon Avenue, the Mummers now commit to queuing on JFK Boulevard before wrapping around to be judged in competition outside City Hall. What once was the end of a day of marching, now initiated the competition with the ensuing march down Broad Street merely a consolation.
“I personally like it the old way, there’s not as much excitement now,” said Hegeman String Band’s Steve DiAngelo. “There’s too much standing around now.”
For more than three hours, the Hegeman String Band, and all the other string bands for that matter, drilled to little fanfare. Rather than spending their time marching toward City Hall to the amusement of spectators, they prepared standing still in a wind tunnel for their turn to compete to judges.
“You used to watch City Hall getting closer and closer, and the anticipation was killing you,” DiAngelo said.
“Now you’re just waiting your turn,” added Folcroft resident and 23-year string band member Stephen Ropski.
Hegeman String Band Captain John Baron echoed the dismay of fellow performers, but he feels the new format could work with a variety of tweaks.
“It could be pretty cool to have a lot of people watching every band,” Baron said. “The problem is, everyone is jammed in (the parade route), so there’s no place for them to go stand and watch. If we all had our own staging areas, it could be pretty fun.”
Indeed, much of the day was spent fighting the cold, waiting in a long line for all the Fancy Divisions and Wench Brigades to clear. By the time the string bands hit the parade route, many people had already departed and left what may be considered the main attraction. Night was swiftly falling as Hegeman finally made its way around the southern bend of City Hall.
“The people from South Philly are really getting shut out,” Baron said. “And they’re the people who support us the most.”
“I personally like it the old way, there’s not as much excitement now. There’s too much standing around now.”
— Hegeman String Band’s Steve Di Angelo
This year’s performance was a fish-themed take on an American Mafia classic, “The Codfather.” Performers donned massive hats depicting fish smoking cigars and costumed as a variety of sea creatures.
Until last year, the parade had begun on Oregon Avenue and stretched all the way north to City Hall. As the statue of William Penn grew larger, so did their anticipation. But, under the new direction, the parade now ends a mile and a half shorter at Washington Avenue.
“It’s like having the Eagles play in northern Maryland,” Baron said.
Despite the frustrations, Hegeman performed beautifully, taking home fifth place in the String Band Division, and Baron once again claimed first place in the Captains Division. He said that one benefit of the shorter parade route is the ability to use larger stages and props, which has become the trademark of Hegeman String Band.
“The parade has gotten bigger because we only have to do six blocks,” Baron said. “If we had to go for two miles, we wouldn’t be using all these props. After we perform in front of the judges, I go right and I have fun.”
“The parade has gotten bigger because we only have to do six blocks. If we had to go for two miles, we wouldn’t be using all these props. After we perform in front of the judges, I go right and I have fun.” — Hegeman String Band Captain John Baron