The Mummers Parade: Route, Viewing Spots and Getting Around on New Year's Day
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By Max Karasick, Compass real estate agent licensed in PA and NJ
The 2027 Mummers Parade happens on New Year's Day, Friday, January 1, 2027, on Broad Street in Philadelphia. As of October 2026, the City hadn't published the 2027 start time, route or street closures yet. The latest official plan, for January 1, 2026, stepped off at 9 a.m. at City Hall, looped around the building and marched south on Broad Street to Washington Avenue, about 1.5 miles, wrapping up around 7 p.m., according to Visit Philadelphia. That's your best guide until the City posts its 2027 notice.
When Is the 2027 Mummers Parade?
New Year's Day, same as always. Everything else waits on the City. For the 2026 parade, the City of Philadelphia announced closures, parking restrictions and accessible seating on December 18, 2025, about two weeks out. Expect the 2027 details on a similar schedule, and treat anything you see before then as unofficial.
Three things were still unannounced as of October 2026: the 2027 start time, any route change and ticket details for the Fancy Brigade Finale, the indoor show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. This guide gets updated once the City and the event's official listing post them.
What Route Did the Most Recent Parade Use?
The 2026 route came in three parts, per Visit Philadelphia's official event listing:
City Hall loop. The parade started at City Hall and circled it counterclockwise. Judging happened on the west side of City Hall by Dilworth Park.
South on Broad. From City Hall it headed down South Broad Street to Washington Avenue, with performance stops on Broad at Sansom, Pine and Carpenter streets.
String Band staging. String Bands lined up along Market Street and JFK Boulevard, with a viewing area at 17th and Market streets.
Heading south is the new tradition, relatively speaking. The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia notes that the City sponsored the first official parade in 1901 and flipped the route in 2015 to start at City Hall and head south.
Where Can You Watch Along Broad Street?
Curbside viewing is free. Where you plant yourself changes the show you get.
Near City Hall. This is where judging happens, so groups give their full performances here. It's also the most crowded stretch, and Market Street parking restrictions start days early.
At the Broad Street stops. In 2026, Sansom, Pine and Carpenter were performance stops, so you got more than a march past.
Accessible viewing. The City set aside 20 wheelchair-accessible seats on 15th Street, on the north side of the performance area, first come, first served, with companion seating behind them. It also listed accessible viewing areas at 701 and 901 Broad Street.
Indoors. The Fancy Brigade Finale is ticketed. For 2026 it ran at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street, with tickets at $43 and $28 through the Independence Visitor Center. Warm seats in January are worth something.
Getting There: Closures, Parking and SEPTA
Broad Street stops being a street that morning. In 2026, Broad closed from South Penn Square to Washington Avenue at 7 a.m. and stayed closed until the parade ended. You couldn't drive across Broad while the parade was moving.
Parking restrictions kicked in earlier. Market Street from 15th to 21st and JFK Boulevard from Juniper to 20th were posted No Parking from 4 a.m. on December 30 until 6 p.m. on January 1, and temporary No Parking zones covered the route from 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. on New Year's Day.
Take the train. The City encouraged visitors to use the SEPTA Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines, and Broad Street Line stations at City Hall, Walnut-Locust, Lombard-South and Ellsworth-Federal sit under or near the route. Bus routes that cross Broad detoured in 2026, so check SEPTA for the 2027 holiday schedule and detours before you head out.
Two Street and the Clubhouses of South Philadelphia
Broad Street is the stage. Two Street is home. "Two Street" is the local name for South Second Street, and the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia describes the clubhouses south of Washington Avenue as where Mummers groups rehearse year round and celebrate after the parade.
The Mummers Museum anchors that stretch at 1100 South 2nd Street, at Second and Washington. It opened in 1976 as part of the city's Bicentennial and marks its 50th anniversary in 2026. As of October 2026, it's open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
What This Means for Owning or Renting Nearby
The housing along the route is mostly attached brick rowhomes on narrow side streets, with mixed-use buildings and apartment conversions facing Broad and newer construction scattered through the blocks near Washington Avenue. Between South Street and Washington Avenue, Broad splits two ZIP codes: 19146 to the west and 19147 to the east, which also takes in the Mummers Museum's corner of Second Street.
As of September 2026, Zillow's Home Value Index put the typical home in ZIP code 19147 at about $484,000 and in ZIP code 19146 at about $393,000. Zillow's Observed Rent Index put typical rent in ZIP code 19147 at about $1,940 a month that same month. Those are ZIP-wide numbers, so a block next to Broad can price differently from one six streets over.
Max uses the parade calendar as a scheduling check. When a showing, inspection, move or closing lands in the last week of December or on January 2, he checks the City's posted closures and parking bans for that address first. A moving truck or appraiser can't reach a block that's posted No Parking, no matter how nicely you ask. If you're comparing homes near Broad, he suggests visiting at different times so the street's busiest days are part of the decision. See how Max works with buyers on the buy page and renters on the rent page, or read his guide to buying a home in Philadelphia, five questions before renting in Center City and the Center City area guide.
Maximize Your Move.
Official Sources
Visit Philadelphia: The Mummers Parade (official event listing, updated December 4, 2025)
Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia (Rutgers University Camden): Mummers
FAQ
When is the 2027 Mummers Parade?
Friday, January 1, 2027, since the Mummers Parade is a New Year's Day event. As of October 2026, the City of Philadelphia hadn't published the 2027 start time, route or street closures. The City posted the 2026 details on December 18, 2025, so watch for a similar December notice.
What is the Mummers Parade route?
The 2026 route started at City Hall, looped counterclockwise around the building and then marched south on Broad Street to Washington Avenue, about 1.5 miles. Judging was on the west side of City Hall near Dilworth Park. The 2027 route hadn't been announced as of October 2026.
Where can you watch the Mummers Parade for free?
Anywhere along the curb on Broad Street between City Hall and Washington Avenue. For the 2026 Mummers Parade, groups paused to perform on Broad at Sansom, Pine and Carpenter streets, so those corners were good bets. The Fancy Brigade Finale at the Pennsylvania Convention Center is the ticketed part of the day.
How do you get to the Mummers Parade without a car?
Ride SEPTA. The City of Philadelphia encouraged 2026 Mummers Parade visitors to use the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines. Broad Street closed to traffic from South Penn Square to Washington Avenue from 7 a.m. until the parade ended, and many bus routes detoured. SEPTA posts its New Year's Day service and detours closer to the date.
What is Two Street in Philadelphia?
Two Street is the local name for South Second Street in South Philadelphia. Clubhouses south of Washington Avenue, where Mummers groups rehearse during the year, host the celebration after the Broad Street parade. The Mummers Museum stands at 1100 South 2nd Street, at the corner of Second Street and Washington Avenue.
