Within 30 minutes, though, the pretty snow had turned to wet sleet. The crowd thinned a bit, but most people pulled out ponchos, umbrellas, and makeshift tents and stuck it out until the end.
"We drove three hours to get here, so we're staying," said Constance Morrison, who drove with her husband from Fredericksburg, Va., Thursday morning to be with their two daughters at the 6ABC Ikea parade.
Morrison and her family were ready for the weather. They sat in lawn chairs under two big umbrellas that covered the four of them and they had a large thermos of hot chocolate to keep them warm.
"We want to see Santa," Morrison said, adding that they'd been coming to the parade for 25 years and always looked forward to the grand finale.
For many families in the region and beyond, Philadelphia's Thanksgiving Day parade is such a big tradition that sleet and rain weren't going to ruin their plans.
Some families designated captains to organize their parade gathering and festivities.
Patrick Vaughn, of Chadds Ford, was in charge of setting up the meeting spot this year for his group.
He staked out their real estate before 7:30 a.m. on 16th Street, just north of JFK Boulevard. And soon, 21 relatives started showing up with hot beverages and snacks in hand, all decked out in their green-and-red elf hats.
The hats were a new addition about two years ago, Vaughn said. His family has been coming to the parade for more than 40 years.
The Whalen family - with 200 guests - had one of the most elaborate party setups on the Parkway. John Whalen of Phoenixville was in charge of organizing the 50th anniversary party.
