String Bands strut without props, scenery
High winds destroyed some String Band props and scenery, meaning there will be no judging on New Year’s Day
Long overdue, but greatly appreciated, was USA Today in 2025 selecting our Mummers Parade as the best holiday parade in the country, edging out some better-known parades such as the Rose in California and Macy’s Thanksgiving in New York.
It may have been a jinx.
The selection was quite an improvement from a threat by red-faced Mayor Jim Kenney to cancel the parade because of claims of racism and homophobia from far-left corners of the Political Correctness closet. Kenney’s threat was particularly painful because Kenney himself had been a proud Mummer with the Jokers fancy brigade for decades before he went through progressive reeducation camp and came out broke, woke, and brainwashed.
Homophobia? Gay Philadelphians have always been in the parade as performers, choreographers, marshalls, costume and scenery designers. One of the most popular divisions is the Wenches, where men dress like women. (You go, Froggy Carr.)
Racism? Nonwhite performers (and women) haven’t always been welcome in the parade, but both have been strutting on Broad Street (or Market Street) for many decades.
The use of racist blackface was banned by the city and the parade in 1964 — more than 60 years ago — but when you have 10,000 people in a parade, a couple of knuckleheads is almost impossible to squelch.
City officials and parade marshalls may order them off the street as soon as they are seen, but when everyone has a cell phone, some racist images get posted online, giving everyone in the parade a, pardon the pun, black eye.
It may be that the honor bestowed by USA Today will tame some of the irrational and unwarranted criticism of the 125-year-old tradition.
Just remember that the stupid actions of a few does not diminish the joy provided by the many.
I mentioned that the USA Today laurel may have been a jinx.
While the String Bands — the parade’s piece d’resistance and the last to march — were forming up, they were struck by high winds that wrecked props and scenery, and sent several members to the hospital, according to Sam Regalbuto, president of the String Band Association.
He told parade broadcasters Larry Mendte and Dawn Stensland the string bands “suffered a lot of damage” while they were setting up. Four or five people were injured. “We’ve lost sets, we’ve lost props . . . We had to make a decision to forego our props for today, but still come in full costume and full makeup.”
The judging competition was canceled, and Regalbuto, who does not respond to calls from me, said a competition will be scheduled for the near future.
