As Plymouth gears up for its annual Thanksgiving Parade on Saturday, residents and visitors should prepare for multiple streets to be cleared of vehicles to make way for the festivities. In a recent post on their Facebook page, the Plymouth Police Department announced that this year's parade route will mirror that of the previous year, initiating at Water Street and concluding at Benny's Plaza/Nelson Street. Anticipating a large turnout, the Plymouth Police Department relayed, "The parade will form up on Water Street between the Rotary and Brewster Street, stepping off at 10am."
Notably, the parade will force the closure of Water Street to parking from the early hours of the morning until potentially 4:00 PM, depending on safety assessments. This means no parking will be allowed in the vicinity as the public parking lot behind Memorial Hall also joins the list of inaccessible areas from midnight on the day of the parade, according to the Plymouth Police Department advisory.
Traffic adjustments extend beyond Water Street. The Plymouth Police Department post informs the community of "extensive parking restrictions on Court Street, Main Street, and Main Street Extension beginning at 7:00AM until the parades end." They have clearly instructed that there will be no room for vehicles on both sides of these streets from Water Street to Samoset Street and Court Street between Samoset and Nelson streets.
Additional streets feature on the no-go list for parking, which includes Carver and Lincoln streets, with further limitations hitting the surrounding Allerton, Vernon, Russell, So. Russell, and Summer streets. A clear signal to residents and visitors alike, the Parking Garage on S. Russell Street, as the Plymouth Police Department put it, "will be closed to the public."
Despite these restrictions, Plymouth ensures accessibility for all its guests. "Handicap Parking will be available on a limited basis on Russell Street along Town Hall," the department confirmed. The Nathaniel Morton Elementary School parking lots, however, will not offer any relief as parking there will be prohibited as well, as per Plymouth Police Department.
In an attempt to alleviate congestion and provide convenience, shuttle bus services will run from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, delivering attendees to and from the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds and District Court Parking Lots as well as from the Kingston MBTA Commuter Lot. The Facebook post by the Plymouth Police Department also pointed out, "This is the best way to access downtown and is strongly encouraged!" With these measures in place, Plymouth is poised to celebrate its Thanksgiving Parade with fanfare, minus the parking pandemonium.
Those who do not heed the temporary parking and traffic regulations during the parade festivities have been forewarned by the department that all violators are susceptible to fines and towing – a stringent reminder that rules will be firmly enforced. Signage and traffic barrels provided by the Department of Public Works will be pivotal to highlighting these restrictions. Plymouth Police Department detailed advisory aims to ensure that the upcoming Thanksgiving Parade is not just a spectacle of joy, but also an event marked by order and safety. More information on the Thanksgiving Parade can be found on the Plymouth Police Department Facebook post.
