Philadelphia Mummers Parade

Forget sleeping in on New Year’s Day. Philadelphia has other plans. The Philadelphia Mummers Parade fills Broad Street with thousands of costumed performers, elaborate floats and props, strutting string bands, and enough sequins and feathers to make a drag queen jealous. This wonderfully peculiar tradition dates back more than a century, with neighborhood clubs spending all year preparing outrageous costumes and choreographed performances. Expect men in dresses, spectacular makeup, colorful parasols, and some seriously competitive showmanship. And it’s not even Pride. The parade is free to watch along the route, but bundle up. All that fabulousness won’t keep you warm in January.