Philly’s Thanksgiving parade created the blueprint for the U.S.

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When Gimbels Department Store leader Ellis Gimbel held a Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1920, the goal was to encourage holiday shopping and inspire others to come into the store. 

“Ellis Gimbel had an imaginative idea to set off the holiday shopping season – that rather than simply decorating the store, why not bring the holiday cheer outside the store walls and directly to the people of Philadelphia?” said Spencer Salusky, a Once Upon A Nation storyteller. 

On Thanksgiving in 1920, Gimbel had more than 50 store employees dressed in costume lead a motorcade from City Hall to their store at 8th and Market streets. 

“Ellis Gimbel assembled a procession of about 50 people, most of them Gimbel’s employees, 15 cars, most of them Ford Model Ts decorated with white crepe paper, and this procession moved down Market Street, ending at 8th and Market at the Gimbel’s storefront,” Salusky said. 

The group ushered Santa Claus in this parade, and hoisted him up to the eighth-floor toy department with a Philadelphia Fire Department ladder. 

And as time went on, the parades became more elaborate. 

“The parade grew larger, with more elaborate floats, huge marching bands that filled the streets with music, and enormous helium balloons that floated above it all,” said Salusky. “And the parade even had a new route, now beginning at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.” 

What Gimbel didn’t imagine was the monumental tradition this would create, not just in Philadelphia, but nationwide. 

“Now, without anyone knowing it at the time, this parade would become a beloved Philadelphia tradition,” Salusky said. 

Humble beginnings 

Ellis Gimbel was one of 14 children born to Adam Gimbel, a Jewish immigrant from Bavaria. Adam founded the Gimbel empire with a general store in Indiana in 1842. 

Ellis and his six brothers eventually expanded the Gimbel legacy to Philadelphia in 1894. 

“Gimbel’s became one of the big six department stores on Market Street — including Wanamaker’s, Strawbridge and Clothier, and the Lit Brothers — but lots of stores means lots of competition,” Salusky said. “Now, how can any one of these six huge department stores convince customers to come to their store over a competitor, especially around Christmas?”

While his brothers opened another store in New York City in 1910, Ellis continued to be one of the main faces of the Philadelphia store. He couldn’t have imagined the success he would eventually have creating the Thanksgiving Day Parade, said Todd Marcocci, the current co-producer of the parade. 

“That’s the interesting thing because (Gimbel) was really brilliant to think, ‘OK, how can we really kick off the holiday season?’” Marcocci said. “So, a parade? Yeah, OK, cool. But I don’t even know that he ever thought of this, from those original cars going along Market to what it was in the few years after it to the ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, and the ‘80s, and then really when it blossomed big time.” 

Ellis Gimbel continued to grow his parade and focused on including all children in the festivities. 

“Gimbel envisioned something greater over the years,” Salusky said. “This parade could become something beyond just setting off the holiday shopping season. Now it could become a gift to the city, giving special attention to orphans and children with disabilities and children in need throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding region.”

Philanthropy and helping others was an important part of Gimbel’s legacy, said Claire Pingel, who works in the curatorial department at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. 

“Ellis’ philanthropy was very important to him, and he gave to a lot of causes, including the elderly, disabled people and especially disadvantaged children,” she said. “He spent time working with orphans, helping them with homework, and donated a lot of money. He also brought 10,000 orphaned children to the circus every year on Orphans Day.”

Beyond this, he set up American Red Cross units in his stores for both world wars, founded the third radio station in Philadelphia, created awards to celebrate civic progress and continued to support charities throughout the city. 

Gimbel’s legacy is also the center of a pop-up exhibit at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. In addition to his other roles, Gimbel led the Philadelphia Jewish Federation and other Jewish charities – in addition to working in tandem with his Jewish American family.  

Parade growth 

The infamous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and J.L. Hudson Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit were based on the Philadelphia tradition. 

It also has a huge impact on those watching from home, Salusky said. 

“What began as Ellis Gimbels’ imaginative Philadelphia celebration became part of a much larger American tradition,” Salusky said. “Thanksgiving Day and holiday parades have become beloved annual events across North America.”

And the parade in Philadelphia is now the longest-running Thanksgiving parade in the United States. 

Gimbels continued to hold its Thanksgiving events in tandem with the parade until it closed its stores in 1986. 

“Some executives at WPVI-TV, or 6abc, recognized what a loss it would be for this parade to disappear, and a decision was made to continue this tradition that Ellis Gimbel envisioned more than six decades earlier, and the parade was saved,” Salusky said. 

From there, 6abc became a co-sponsor of the event along with other businesses like Boscov’s department store (1986-2007), IKEA (2008-10) and now, Dunkin Donuts. 

“The parade route was reversed, now ending at the Philadelphia Museum of Art,” Salsuky said. “And Santa, he no longer ascends a fireman’s ladder. He makes a memorable entrance, ascending the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, ushering in the holiday season.”

You can catch this year’s 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 26, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. 

Marcocci said this year’s parade programming will be special. 

“In this 107-year existence, this year’s parade, for the first time ever, will have two marching bands from the state of Alaska,” Marcocci said. “The high school from Alaska is literally from the highest point that you can actually travel in Alaska.”

In addition, the parade’s big finale will feature Bianca Ryan from “America’s Got Talent,” a Philadelphia gospel singer, and more. 

And this week’s Firstival will feature craft-making, children’s activities and an exhibit celebrating the Gimbels (a Jewish American family). 

You can attend this week’s Firstival on Saturday at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History at 101 S. Independence Mall East from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

And below is the full list of this year’s Firstivals – including the upcoming dates and locations. 

Completed

Week 1:  Successful balloon flight in America (1793)

Week 2: The Mummers parade, the nation’s first folk parade (1901)

Week 3: Volunteer fire company (1736)

Week 4: Professional basketball league (1898)

Week 5: Public Girl Scout cookie sale (1932)

Week 6: African Methodist Episcopal congregation (1794)

Week 7: Abolitionist society in America (1775)

Week 8: Authentic Chinese gate built in America (1984)

Week 9: Public protest against slavery in America (1688)

Week 10: Flower Show (1829)

Week 11: Women’s medical college (1850)Week 12: Matchbook (1892)

Week 13: Medical school (1765)

Week 14: Stadium (1895)

Week 15: Circus performance (1793) 

Week 16: Botanical garden (1728)

Week 17: Postmaster (1737)

Week 18: American-made piano and sousaphone (1775 and 1893) 

Week 19: Mother’s Day (1908) 

Week 20: Hospital in America (1751)

Week 21: World’s Fair on American soil (1876) 

Week 22: Steamboat for passengers and freight (1787)

Week 23: American flag (1777)

Week 24: U.S. Army (1775)

Week 25: Annual Reminder demonstration (1965)
Week 26: Paper maker in America (1690)

Week 27: Bank of the United States (1791)
Week 28: Organized baseball team (1831)

Week 29: Ice cream soda (Oct. 1874) 

Week 30: American art school (1805) 

Week 31: Scientific Society of Natural History (1812)

Week 31: Zoo in America (1874)

Week 32: U.S. Mint (1793) 

Week 33: Selfie (1839)

Week 34: Slinky (1943) 

Week 35: Signing of the Constitution (1787) 

Week 36: Continental Congress (1774) 

Week 37: Naming of the United States (1776)

Week 38: Ronald McDonald House (1974) 

Week 39: Penitentiary in America (1829) 

Week 40: First peoples 

Week 41: U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775)

Week 42: Public showing of a motion picture (1870) 

Week 43: Modern detective story written (1841) 

Upcoming

• Thanksgiving Day parade in America (1920)
Nov. 7, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 S. Independence Mall East 

• University in America (1740)
Nov. 14, Houston Hall, The University of Pennsylvania, 3417 Spruce St.

• Children’s hospital in America (1855)
Nov. 21, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Main Building, 3401 Civic Center Blvd.

• Pencil with an attached eraser (1858)
Nov. 28, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St.

• Weather bureau (1870)
Dec. 5, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.

• Electronic computer (1945)
Dec. 12, The University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut St.

• Public lending library in America (1731)
Dec. 19, The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St.

• Philly food firsts: Cheesesteaks (1930s), water ice (1932) and bubble gum (1928)
Dec. 26, Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St.