September 1, 2021

Line of March Participants and Volunteers Sought for the County Thanksgiving Parade on Saturday, Nov. 20

Applications are now being accepted to be a part of the annual Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade in Silver Spring. The County is looking for colorful and talented marching bands, artists, dance and gymnastic troupes, floats, sports teams, costumed characters, beauty queens, clowns, classic car clubs, community groups and other organizations to march in the parade. The parade will be held starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, in Downtown Silver Spring.

The parade takes place each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and is a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season. Thousands of people traditionally line the parade route.

Families in attendance will be able to socially distance themselves as the parade route extends for a mile. All attendees will be encouraged to wear masks to keep fellow community members safe.

Applications for units to participate are due on Sept 27. Applications can be found at https://www.silverspringdowntown.com/montgomery-county-thanksgiving-parade.

Events as large as the County’s Thanksgiving Parade require many Individuals to make it happen. The County is also seeking volunteers who want to be part of the event in unique ways and have a great time doing it.

Individuals ages 13-and-older who are not part of an organization entering a featured unit can still have great fun by volunteering for roles in the parade. Volunteers are needed to be elves and pilgrims on floats, reindeer and penguins in the parade or to lead balloons. Other volunteers are needed to dress up in costume and ride on the floats and to act as unit leaders.

The need for adult volunteers is particularly high this year as many traditional volunteers may not participate due to the COVID-19 health crisis. On parade day, volunteers generally are expected to be involved from 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (volunteers need to be present during the entire time). Information on volunteering for the parade can be found here.

Additional information about participating in the parade can be obtained by calling 240-777-0311 or by visiting www.silverspringdowntown.com.