Your guide to Philly's 105th Thanksgiving Day Parade

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Preparations and rehearsals are under way for Philadelphia’s 105th Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the countdown is on.

The stone steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art have been decorated in pink and orange, forming the backdrop for live performances featured on the live telecast on Thursday. Bleachers are set up nearby — for the first time in five years. And hundreds of performers are rehearsing for the big day

“Everything in the parade is rehearsed,” says parade producer Todd Marcocci. And that includes the 15 marching bands performing this year.

“We have great bands from the Mississippi River coming east. And also, to the south, Center Grove High School [from Greenwood, Indiana] — actually one of the top marching bands in the country, that competes on a national level — is going to be doing a special drill performance for us in the telecast area.”

(Psst! And don't forget: Temple's Diamond Marching Band will be performing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade just up the road in New York City.)

Now, here is everything you need to know about entertainment, weather and travel for Philadelphia’s 105th Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The parade kicks off Thursday at 8:30 a.m. at 20th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. There will be colorful floats, grand balloons, marching bands and Eagles cheerleaders. And, as always, Santa Claus is the guest of honor.

Special guest appearances include Lisa Ann Walter (second grade teacher Melissa Schemmenti) of ABC's "Abbott Elementary" and "RuPaul's Drag Race" judge Carson Kressley. And, as for performers, the Sugarhill Gang, Funky Bunch, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love are all on the lineup.

The parade is free and open to all ages. It gets crowded fast, so be sure to get there early to secure a spot — you can watch from any point along the parade route.

You may want to bring an umbrella or poncho. As of now, the Accuweather forecast says there’s a chance of steady rain in the morning, with showers continuing through the afternoon. The high will be 48 degrees.

And for those who can’t make it in person, don’t worry. You can catch it live on Hulu, ABCNewsLive and Disney+ until noon.

— Eakins Oval between Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive will be closed again from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for street rehearsals.

— Starting at 4 p.m., innerlanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, from 21st Street to 20th Street will be closed for site build until the end of the parade.

— Starting at 6:30 p.m., Eakins Oval will be closed for rehearsals and site build until the end of the parade.

— Inbound lanes of John F. Kennedy Boulevard, from 20th Street to 30th Street, will be closed to vehicular traffic from 7 p.m. until the end of the parade.

— Outbound lanes of John F. Kennedy Boulevard, from 20th Street to 30th Street Station, will be closed to vehicular traffic from 8 p.m. until the end of the parade.

— Starting at midnight, JFK Boulevard from 30th Street to 16th Street will be closed to vehicular traffic until the parade ends.

— Starting at 2 a.m., 20th Street from Ben Franklin Parkway to Race Street will be closed to vehicular traffic until 11 a.m.

— Starting at 2 a.m., Market Street from 19th Street to 20th Street will be closed to vehicular traffic until the parade ends.

— 20th Street from JFK Boulevard to Arch Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from 5 a.m. until the parade ends.

— 20th Street from Market Street to Ben Franklin Parkway will be closed to vehicular traffic from 6 a.m. until the parade ends.

— Market Street from 19th Street to 22nd Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from 6 a.m. until the parade ends.

— Kelly Drive from Sedgley Drive to Eakins Oval will be closed to vehicular traffic from 7 a.m. until the parade ends.

— Parade route will be closed to vehicular traffic starting at 7:30 a.m.

The city says roads will be opened as they are serviced and cleaned. All event-related road closures will be lifted on Thanksgiving by 3 p.m. at the latest.

Expect traffic delays and look out for restricted parking areas. “Temporary No Parking” signs will be posted Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Avoid parking in these areas:
— JFK Blvd. from 19th Street to 30th Street (both sides)
— 20th Street from Market Street to Ben Franklin Parkway (both sides)
— Arch street from 19th Street and 22nd Street (both sides)
— Race Street from 16th Street and 17th Street (both sides)
— 17th Street from Vine Street to Race Street (both sides)
— Vine Street from 15th Street to 17th Street (eastbound lanes)
— Market Street from 19th Street to 22nd Street (both sides)
— Paschall Avenue from 62nd Street to 63rd Street (both sides)

SEPTA will be operating on a Sunday schedule throughout Thanksgiving Day. A list of detoured routes can be found on SEPTA's website.