The 35th Mayfair-Holmesburg Thanksgiving Parade will take place Sunday afternoon along Frankford Avenue. The rain date is Dec. 4.
The Mayfair Business Association, which met last week at the John M. Perzel Community Center, produces the parade, which starts at noon at Rhawn Street and travels south to Knorr Street.
Parade announcers will be stationed at Knorr Street and at Ryan Avenue, where radio station B101 will play Christmas music.
Tricia Paffen will sing the national anthem at Rhawn Street and then at stages at Cottman Avenue and Glenview Avenue.
Approved vendors will be identified by a button on their clothing.
Elves will hand out candy canes and collect letters to Santa Claus from children.
The theme is Bringing Music Back to Mayfair. The grand marshal will be Ed Kelly, founder of the popular Pennypack Park Music Festival summer concert series. The parade will feature decorated baby strollers and the following participants:
I am Phresh dance studio; 3rd Federal Bank; ACE Public Adjusters; Advantage Auto; Andalusia Jug Band; Anna Marie’s Academy of Dance; Avalon String Band; Aztec Sign Co.; B101 FM Radio; Belair Automotive; Bellalisa Hair Studio; Beneficial Bank; Bensalem Ramblers cheerleaders; Blind Dog Rescue Alliance; Bow Wow Meow PetMobile; Boy Scout Troop 226 Drum & Bugle Corps; Boy Scout Troop 37 of Rhawnhurst Presbyterian Church; Casper’s and Paddy Whacks party bus; Celtic Flame Irish dancers; Charles McMenamy American Legion Post 178; Cheltenham American Legion Post 492.
Also, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz; Councilman-elect Bobby Henon; Crest-Lawn Legion Post 832; Crispin cheerleading; Cub Pack 100; Curran’s Irish Inn; Daisy Troop 9048 and Brown Troop 906; Dance Kidz; Delaware Valley Siberian Husky Rescue; Disston Chiropractic; District Council 21; DJ Chris B of Eagle Entertainment; Domenico Menswear; Dress Up Time; Dunphy Ford; Durning String Band; Extreme Towing; F&J Mini Mart; Father Judge High School Band; Firstrust Bank; Foot Lites Dance Studio; Frankford Dental Care; Frankford High School Army Junior ROTC; Frusco’s Steaks; Gallagher Brothers Windows.
Also, Giggles & Gifts; Gino’s Pizza Café; Girl Scout Troops 965 and 91232; Girl Scouts — Good Shepherd; Goals Martial Arts; Goodchild’s Auto Body Repair; Greater Kensington String Band; Greater Pennsylvania Military Vehicle Historical Society; Grey Lodge; Hegeman String Band; Holmesburg Amateur Radio Club; Holmesburg Bakery; Holmesburg cheerleaders; Holmesburg Civic Association; Holmesburg Jam Band; Holmesburg Recreation Center; Holy Terrors Youth Organization; Hop Angel Brauhaus; Infinity Gifts & Beyond; Infinity Jewelers; Jim Daly Insurance Company; Joe Ems State Farm Insurance; John F. Fluehr & Sons.
Also, Kiki Furniture and Bedding; Lansing Knights; Liberty Floor Covering; LAOH 61, Life Victory Church; Lincoln High School prom king and queen; Lincoln High School ROTC; Lincoln High School student association; Living Waters Ministry; Lloyd Sixsmith Sporting Goods; Lulu Temple A.A.O.N.M.S. Shrine, Shriner clubs and units; Maggie’s Waterfront Café; Mannal Funeral Home; Mayfair Business Association; Mayfair Civic Association; Mayfair Community Development Corporation; Mayfair Glass & Metal; Mayfair Shop-N-Bag; Mayfair Thanksgiving Parade Float; Michael’s Glass Company, featuring Whiskers Magee; Michele’s Family Hair Care; Monroe Muffler; Moss Athletic Association cheerleaders; Motion N Dance; Mr. and Mrs. William Dixon and classic cars.
Also, Northeast Ambulance; Optimist Club; Our Lady of Consolation School; Out on the Town entertainment guide; Parade grand marshal Ed Kelly; Pat’s Music Centers; Penn Academy Dancers; Pennypack concerts, featuring the Glimmer Twins (Rolling Stones tribute band); Perzel Insurance Agency; Philadelphia Fire Department truck; Philadelphia Police explorers; Philly Kustom & Performance Inc.; Philly Pretzel Factory; Polonia Bank; Pride of Erin School of Dance; Prudential Prime Real Estate; Rapid Restoration; Red Paw Emergency Relief Team; ReMax City and Suburban; Republic Bank; Rising Sun VFW Post 2819; Romeo Delight (Van Halen tribute band),
Also, St. Hubert High School; Samuel Fels High School drum line and drill team; San Antonio (LPO-17) Division, USNSCC; Santa Claus, sponsored by Mayfair Shop-N-Bag; Santa’s elves and letter collection truck; Saturn, featuring Mike LeCompt; Seafood Bay; Shades of Green School of Irish Dance; Sharp Decisions; Sippel Brothers; St. Petri Boy Scouts Troop 372; Stan’s Health Foods; State Rep. Kevin Boyle; State Rep. Mike McGeehan; Stein’s Florist; Stems and Seeds Band; Swenson Arts & Technology High School; Tacony Town Watch; Torresdale cheerleaders; Torresdale Flower Shop; Viriva Community Credit Union; Vogt C.A. cheerleading; and Warriors Watch Riders.
In other news from the Nov. 10 business association meeting:
• The business group will hold its annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 4 p.m., at Frusco’s Steak Shop, at 7220 Frankford Ave.
The public is invited. Santa Claus will be on hand. There will be live Christmas music, cookies and hot chocolate. Also, children will be able to write messages in chalk on a late-model Cadillac.
• A new Wawa, with gasoline pumps, will open on Dec. 16 at Tyson Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard.
The site is the former home of Northeast Lincoln Mercury. The new store will replace a smaller one just a block away at Tyson and Brous avenues.
• The business association is ready to install four security cameras, but is waiting to see if wireless cameras would be more effective.
In addition, the group might partner with the Mayfair Community Development Corporation to install more cameras.
One possibility for a camera is in the parking lot at 7017 Roosevelt Blvd. that includes Rolling Thunder Skating, which was scheduled to reopen sometime this month. The facility, formerly known as WOW Family Fun Center and Jamz Roller Skating Center, has been closed since last year, when snow damaged the building’s roof. Many neighbors have complained that past patrons have been unruly at closing time.
• The business group was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at the Grey Lodge Pub with officials of the National Association of Neighborhood Business Districts. The local business people hope to join the national organization, which they believe is dues-free, to help them improve the neighborhood business climate. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215–354–3034 or [email protected]
