Parkland High School's marching band is heading back to Philadelphia for one of the city's biggest annual showcases. The Trojan Marching Band will perform in this year's 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 26, giving a group of Lehigh County students a chance to march down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in front of a massive holiday crowd.
According to WFMZ, the performance marks the latest appearance for Parkland in the parade, which will celebrate its 107th year in 2026. The outlet reports that some Lehigh County students will get their time to shine in the Thanksgiving Day parade in Philadelphia, joining a lineup that typically includes other school bands, floats and national performers.
This isn't new territory for the Trojan Marching Band. The group performed in the parade back in 2022, and the band's own booster organization notes it was also scheduled to return for the 2024 edition, per the Parkland Music Boosters. Parkland isn't the only Lehigh Valley group to have marched in the parade in recent years — the East Hills Middle School Marching Band from the Bethlehem Area School District has also taken part, the same WFMZ report notes.
When and Where to Watch
Sources differ slightly on the exact kickoff time for the 2026 parade. WFMZ reports the 107th annual event begins at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, while Visit Philadelphia lists an 8:30 a.m. start with a 30-minute pre-show. Either way, families hoping to catch Parkland's set should plan to be in place well before 9 a.m.
The parade route starts at 20th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard and ends at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, according to Visit Philadelphia. For those not heading into Center City, the parade will air live on 6abc Philadelphia and stream on 6abc.com, mobile and TV streaming apps, Hulu and ABC News Live, per the same WFMZ report.
A Parade Tradition Decades in the Making
The 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade has grown into one of the country's longest-running holiday traditions, and the 2026 edition continues that streak at 107 years, Visit Philadelphia notes. The event regularly combines marching bands from across the country with floats, balloons, dance companies, choirs and top entertainers, according to 6abc's own parade coverage.
For Parkland's band members, the Thanksgiving morning trip to Philadelphia offers a chance to perform on a stage far bigger than their usual Lehigh Valley football-field halftime shows. With the parade airing to a citywide — and streaming — audience, the Trojan Marching Band's appearance adds another entry to a run of Thanksgiving performances the group has built since at least 2022.
