Some changes in the judging area are a new performance and viewing area, a large-screen TV, and more fan-friendly bleacher seating to make a more pleasant viewing experience, Mummers Parade director Leo Dignam said in a news release. He added that there were now three comic clubs, two fancy division units, 17 string bands, 10 fancy brigades, and eight Wench Brigades in the Mummers Parade lineup.
The parade also promises to be more fan-accessible, with the return of the Pine Street performance area and bleachers, as well as other amenities, including portable bathrooms, at all six officially designated Mummers performance areas, the city has announced. They are free and located along the parade route on Broad Street near Shunk, Wolf, Washington, Pine, and Sansom Streets.
The best view could be from the Grand Stand entertainment zone near City Hall on JFK Boulevard, between 15th and 16th Streets. Tickets for the City Hall bleachers are $19 (for all ages), offsetting the expense of operating the performance zones.
The extravagant showcase of talent and feathery showmanship kicks off with the Comics Division (Broad Street and Washington Avenue), followed by the Fancy Division (at 10:30 a.m. at Broad Street and Passyunk Avenue); the String Bands (at 10 a.m. at Broad and Shunk Streets) and the Fancy Brigades (at 12:40 p.m. at Broad Street and Oregon Avenue).
The Fancy Brigades are scheduled to march on Broad Street, from Oregon to Washington Avenue, and will be judged at one of their indoor shows (rain or shine), while the remaining three Mummers divisions will end their competitive performances at the City Hall judging area in Center City.
