The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade, televised live from downtown Silver Spring, celebrates its 20-year anniversary on November 18, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The only Thanksgiving parade in the area, it features over 100 marching units, including marching bands, musical groups, floats, and inflatables. Stepping off at 10am, the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade route goes from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring, south on Georgia Avenue to Silver Spring Avenue.

ABC7 Meteorologist Brian Van de Graaff will return to emcee the parade. 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 will be held rain or shine. For more information, call 240.777.0311 or visit www.silverspringdowntown.com.

Parking Information

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.

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