<P> The 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual Thanksgiving Day Santa Claus parade held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is currently sponsored and aired by ABC owned - and - operated television station WPVI - TV, through a co-sponsorship agreement with restaurant chain Dunkin' Donuts . It is currently the oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States . It was formerly known as the 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade, 6abc Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Channel 6 Mellon PSFS Thanksgiving Day Parade, Channel 6 MasterCard Thanksgiving Day Parade and originally the Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade until Gimbels department store closed operations in 1986 . </P> <P> The 97th annual 6ABC - Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade took place on Thursday, November 24, 2016 starting at 8: 30 am local time . </P> <P> Started in 1920, the Philadelphia parade is billed as the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the country . Like other parades of its type, it features balloons, floats, high school marching bands, and celebrities . The first Thanksgiving Day parade held in 1920 was sponsored by Gimbels department store . When the parade was begun, it was called the Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade . Ellis Gimbel, one of the founders of Gimbels Department Stores, wanted his toyland to be the destination of holiday shoppers everywhere . He had more than 50 store employees dressed in costume and sent to walk in their first Thanksgiving Day parade . The parade featured floats and marchers paraded down Market Street, with the finale consisting of Santa Claus arriving at the eight floor toy department at Gimbels by climbing the ladder of a Philadelphia Fire Department ladder truck . Gimbels emulated other holiday parades already in existence . The Santa Claus Parade in Peoria, IL is held on the day after Thanksgiving and is the oldest, continuously - held holiday parade in the country . It was founded in 1887 under the sponsorship of Frederick Block and the Schipper & Block (later Block & Kuhl) Department Store . Block's example led to the founding of similar parades in other cities . The retail parade tradition continues today . </P> <P> When BATUS Inc. was unable to find a buyer for Gimbels in 1986, the department store chain was liquidated; the fate of the country's oldest parade was up in the air . Boscov's (a family - owned department store based in Reading, Pennsylvania) and WPVI (self - named "6abc" in its programs and promotions) took over sponsorship . They renamed the event as the 6abc Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade . Parade's co-sponsor 6abc is an owned - and - operated television station of the Walt Disney Company - owned American Broadcasting Company (since 1996), and thus benefits from access to Disney characters and personalities . </P>

Where was the first thanksgiving parade held in 1920