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Annual Family-Focused Mummers' Parade in Manayunk Aims to Keep Philly Tradition Alive

2ND ANNUAL MUMMERS MARDI GRAS PARADE IN MANAYUNK IS SET FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH; ALL 17 MUMMERS’ STRING BANDS SET TO PERFORM

 

Philadelphia, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/14/2016 -- Lovers of Mummers music, break out 'dem golden slippers and get ready to strut your stuff again. The Second Annual Mummers' Mardi Gras Parade in Manayunk is Saturday, February 20, 2016 beginning at 11 am along the length of Manayunk's iconic Main Street shopping and dining district (rain date is Saturday, February 27th). This family-focused celebration of the music and pageantry of the Mummers was conceived as a means to keep Philadelphia's renowned Mummers' tradition alive and well. In recent years, largely as result of the national economic downturn and the resulting cuts to the city's budget, the Mummers Association has been hard hit economically, causing a reduction in the ranks of Mummers and their performance clubs, and necessitating a shortened parade route on New Year's Day, the Mummers' grandest annual stage. The announcement of the Second Annual Mummers Mardi Gras Parade was made today by Manayunk Development Corporation (MDC) Executive Director Jane Lipton; Joe DeCandido, President of Advent Consulting (ADVENT), the event promoters; and Tom Loomis, President of the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association (PMSBA).

"Manayunk is ecstatic to once again be hosting this fun, family celebration of Philadelphia's beloved Mummers' String Bands," said Jane Lipton, MDC Executive Director. "The Mummers are a Philadelphia institution that must survive. The Mummers' String Bands were looking for new traditions in which to showcase their musical talents. Manayunk was looking for another signature event to showcase this vibrant community. ADVENT deserves great credit for bringing this wonderful event to us. MDC is delighted to be partnering with them again to produce this family-friendly annual event that will help promote and preserve the Mummers' tradition for generations to come. We're certainly aware of the unfortunate, insensitive incidents at the January 1st Mummers Parade that led to justifiable public backlash. We have gone to great lengths to make our parade an inclusive, family friendly event and can assure people that our focus is on fun, family and the music of the Mummers."

U.S. Congressman Robert A. Brady, one of the Mummers' greatest cheerleaders and supporters, will once again be on-hand to serve as the parade's Grand Marshal.

"How many traditions does Philadelphia have left? The Mummers are ours. No one else can lay claim to this uniquely Philadelphia tradition, so it's incumbent upon all of us who love this tradition to save it. Outside of Broad Street on New Year's Day, I can't think of a more perfect performance space for the Mummers than Main Street in Manayunk in late winter. I have pledged my full support to this effort and congratulate Manayunk Development Corporation, ADVENT and the Mummers String Band Association. I look forward to strutting my stuff again on February 20th," said Brady.

Tom Loomis, President of the Mummers String Band Association, also praised the event organizers.

"It's no secret that the Mummers as an organization have been hurting for years," said Loomis. "We desperately need the support of the Philadelphia community to keep this great tradition alive. We are indebted to the Manayunk Development Corporation, ADVENT and our dear friend Congressman Bob Brady for creating this wonderful event in Manayunk to help save the Mummers. We look forward to playing and strutting our hearts out Saturday, February 20th for fans old and young. This is going to quickly become another beloved Mummers tradition in Philadelphia."

Joe DeCandido is the founder and president of ADVENT. Like everyone else involved in the creation of the Mummers Mardi Gras Parade in Manayunk, he, too, was primarily motivated to do his part to help save this quintessentially Philadelphia tradition.

"I know these guys. A lot of them are my friends and neighbors. For a couple of years now, I have been trying to find a new event opportunity that would help them raise money and keep this wonderful tradition going," said DeCandido. "The Mummers get hired to play all over the country for Mardi Gras parades in other cities. So I thought, 'Why not let the Mummers raise money close to home to allow their biggest supporters – Philadelphians – to enjoy them instead?' When I met with Jane Lipton and her team at MDC, it just clicked from the start. Main Street during the Mardi Gras season is a tremendous place and time for the Mummers to do their thing for an appreciative throng of folks from the city and suburbs. I know of many people who love the Mummers, but don't often venture into Center City on New Year's Day to see them. Well, now they have an opportunity to see the Mummers in nearby Manayunk again this year and take advantage of all the retail and restaurant amenities the town has to offer."

The Main Street retail corridor will be closed for the family-friendly parade until 1:00 pm and a zero tolerance policy against public drinking will be strictly enforced. The parade will kick-off at Shurs Lane at 11 am and end at approximately 12:30 pm at Green Lane. All 17 Mummers String Bands will parade the one mile-plus length of Main Street, performing the entire length of the parade.

Select restaurants and retail shops will be featuring post-parade Mummers performances in their businesses until 6 pm (schedule coming soon). Mummers' volunteers assigned to each string band will collect donations from spectators along Main Street to benefit the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association.

For more info, visit http://www.manayunk.com and http://www.MummersMardiGras.com

About Mummers Mardi Gras
ADVENT first produced Mummers Mardi Gras in 2014 with the support of numerous sponsors and entertainment. The event was developed to keep the Mummers in the spotlight throughout the year, and create a new tradition in the process. The 2015 event was celebrated down Main Street in Manayunk, where families flocked to see the parade and performances of their favorite string bands.

If interested in becoming a sponsor for upcoming events, please contact Joe DeCandido of ADVENT at 267-437-2127 or by email at JD@AdventRox.com

For more information, please visit http://www.MummersMardiGras.com.