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Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade

November 18, 2023 • 10am-12pm • Veterans Plaza
FREE • No Tickets Needed

Participant Drop off and Line-up Directions

Due to increased security many roads are closed, follow these directions carefully and travel early!

 

Directions From 495:

 

If dropping off participants (8700 Cameron Street)…

Drop off participants on Fenton Street between Cameron Street and Colesville Road.  

Travel South on Colesville road, turn right onto Fenton Street. Park in the public garage, 8700 Cameron Street at the Cameron Street/ Fenton Street intersection.  Walk on Fenton Street towards Ellsworth Drive. Line-up is in the Town Center Garage. ABSOLUTELY NO ENTRANCE TO LINE-UP GARAGE FOR VEHICLES NOT TRAVELING IN PARADE.  All line-up times begin at 8:00am and must be in place prior to 8:30am.  See bolded area below for the time your section is lining-up.

 

If your vehicle is in the parade in Sections A-F…

Take 495 to Colesville Road South (Exit 30B). After approximately 1.5 miles turn left onto Cedar Avenue (which is Spring Street on the other side). Then…

The Town Center garage can be accessed by turning right onto Ellsworth Drive.

 

If your vehicle is in Section H…

Take 495 to Colesville Road South (Exit 30B). After approximately 1.5 miles turn left onto Cedar St (which is Spring Street on the other side). Then, continue past Ellsworth Drive, pulling into the right hand lane of Cedar St. Section H is on Cedar St, Pershing, or Veterans Place and continues around that block. Follow staff directions/signage about parking in order.

 

Section A is in the Town Square LINE-UP garage on the 1st Floor [line-up by 8:00AM]

Section B is in the Town Square LINE-UP garage on the 2nd Floor [line-up by 8:00AM]

Section C is in the Town Square LINE-UP garage on the 3rd Floor [line-up by 8:15AM]

Section D is in the Town Square LINE-UP garage on the 4th Floor [line-up by 8:15AM]

Section E is in the Town Square LINE-UP garage on the 5th Floor [line-up by 8:15AM]

Section F is in the Town Square LINE-UP garage on the 6th Floor [line-up by 8:30AM]

Section H is in the right hand lane of Cedar, Pershing, and Veterans Place. [line-up by 8:30AM, unless you are a balloon and then you are given a specific inflation time when you need to arrive]

 

Section H is in this area because your unit is too tall to be in the garage (over 8'8"). It is a holding area so that you can be fed into the parade during the correct moment when your unit should enter. You will park in order so that we can cut your group into the parade at the correct moment. It would be a good idea during the waiting time for you to travel on foot into the garage and look at the group in front of you numerically. That way you can recognize them and assist staff to slot you into the parade.

 

Parking:

1) Park in the Cameron Street Garage at the intersection with Fenton Street, 8700 Cameron Street.

2) UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN YOU PARK IN TOWN CENTER LINE-UP GARAGE

 

Buses Parking:

Parking lane, Fenton Street next to Cameron Street. If you have a bus, email the organizer to let us know. 

 

Directions from Metro:

Take the red line to the Silver Spring Metro Station. After exiting on Wayne Avenue, walk two short blocks north to the intersection of Wayne and Georgia Avenue. Turn left, walk one block to Ellsworth Drive, turn onto Ellsworth and walk two blocks to the Town Center line-up garage.

Parade Route:

Garage units will be exiting out the entrance ramp and turning right onto Ellsworth. Section H Units will be exiting out to Veterans Place. The parade will merge and begin on Ellsworth Drive. The grandstand will be near the intersection with Fenton Street. The parade continues on Ellsworth turning left onto the North bound lane of Georgia Avenue. The parade ends at Silver Spring Avenue.

 

Disbanding:

Participants should turn left onto Silver Spring Avenue.  Cars will continue straight down Silver Spring Avenue.  After the light drive straight across Fenton Street.  Turn Left onto Grove St and proceed until the end, Turn Right onto Bonifant St. and then turn Left onto to Cedar St.   From Cedar, turn Right on Wayne Avenue.  From Wayne Avenue turn left onto Dale Drive.  From Dale Drive turn left onto Colesville Road to return to the Parade drop off garage (or Right onto Colesville Road to exit onto 495).

People, marching units, and Floats that need to breakdown turn left onto Silver Spring Avenue (same as usual), at the Studio Plaza apartments, 915 Silver Spring Avenue, turn left again to use the cut through the alley/street "No Name Street" to Thayer Avenue to disband on Thayer/walk back to the Civic Building via the sidewalks. 

 

Performances

Only high school marching bands and a few select Silver Spring arts groups have prior permission to perform.  Although performances aren't guaranteed, if you have something prepared, let your staff check-in person know.  There is a possibility you might get to stop in the intersection of Ellsworth and Fenton and perform for approximately 30 seconds to a minute.