With sequins and glitter, music and pageantry, the nation\u2019s oldest folk parade strutted through downtown Philadelphia on Thursday, delighting thousands who lined Broad Street despite fierce, damaging, and bitter winds.<\/p>\n
Over 125 years, there have been weather events \u2014 postponements because of cold, rain and snow and, in 2021, a COVID cancellation. But for the first time in Mummers history, one part of the parade was suspended<\/a>.<\/p>\n The popular String Band Division called off its competition because of punishing winds that destroyed props and sent five people to the hospital early Thursday morning during parade setup. Each of the 14 string bands marched later Thursday, playing music in costumes and makeup, but solely for entertainment purposes and not with their planned routines.<\/p>\n A full string band competition, with judges and routines the clubs have spent a full year devising and practicing, will happen on a yet-to-be-determined date, after logistics and finances are worked out.<\/p>\n Still, the 2026 parade was quintessentially Philadelphia \u2014 not perfect, but full of heart-on-its-sleeve scrappiness.<\/p>\n Ryan Echols, president of the Hegeman String Band, said the group had shortened its performance and packed up props due to the gusty wind, but still came to play.<\/p>\n \u201cThe parade still goes on regardless,\u201d said Echols. \u201cWe\u2019re still here to perform for the city of Philadelphia.\u201d<\/p>\n The cancellation had thrown a wrench in the day, said Nick Magenta, captain of the Polish American String Band.<\/p>\n \u201cYou get used to all these years \u2014 how the parade goes, how the morning goes,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you have something like those, it kind of throws you off your focus.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, Mummer morale remained high, he said. <\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t change it, regardless,\u201d said Magenta. \u201cEveryone is just looking forward to being out here and celebrating new year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Things were just being ripped out of our hands\u2019<\/p>\n String band officials saw the forecasts: possible snow squalls and wind gusts early Thursday morning. They monitored forecasts hour by hour.<\/p>\n But in the 5 a.m. reality of readying \u201ca mobile Broadway show,\u201d it quickly became apparent that they were not gusts, but, on Broad Street, sustained 30-mile-per-hour winds. As clubs set up their elaborate props, five people sustained injuries that sent them to the hospital. Some clubs had important set pieces destroyed.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did everything precaution wise \u2014 sandbags, and all of that,” said Sam Regalbuto, president of the Philadelphia Mummers<\/a> String Band Association. \u201cBut as they were trying to assemble, things were just being ripped out of our hands.\u201d<\/p>\n Regalbuto quickly called a meeting of association delegates, and the consensus was to suspend the competition but still march. Only a little differently, not putting anyone at a disadvantage because several bands had lost key pieces of their show. <\/p>\n Even into the afternoon, winds were still brisk, with temperatures in the 30s. (Cold temperatures are scheduled to continue into the weekend.)<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve lost sets, we\u2019ve lost props that we\u2019ve worked 365 days to put together to bring you the best possible string band spectacular that we do every year,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was very hard for all of us, as a unit, to make this decision.\u201d<\/p>\n After the last Comic Divisions finished, it was showtime for the strings, with Duffy String Band leading off.<\/p>\n Crowds seemed unfazed by the amended show. Some Mummers wore beanies instead of their typical elaborate headpieces. <\/p>\n