SILVER SPRING, Md. — Silver Spring will be gobbling on Saturday as the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade of 150 marching bands and floats march through downtown from 10 a.m. to noon, with city and county officials announcing road closures and bus route changes ahead of the celebrations.
Saturday's parade will include local Olympic gold medalist Thea LaFond, who won the women's triple jump in Paris this year. LaFond was born in the Caribbean island nation of Dominica and was her birth country's first-ever gold medalist. Olympic swimmer Aaron Owusu, who represented Eritrea in the men's 50-meter freestyle race in Paris, will also be at the parade.
The Akhmedova Ballet Academy, Maryland Youth Ballet will also march with the parade in a lineup that includes a giant T-Rex, Santa Claus and a Chanukah bear.
The parade route will start at Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street, then go south on Georgia Avenue and finish on Silver Spring Avenue. The following roads will be closed from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday:
- North and Southbound lanes of Georgia Avenue, from East-West Highway to Colesville Road
- Cedar Street between Colesville Road and Wayne Avenue
- Pershing Drive from Cedar Street to Veterans Place
- Veterans Place from Pershing Drive to Ellsworth Drive
- Ellsworth Drive from Georgia Avenue to Cedar Street
- Roeder Road from Fenton Street to Cedar Street
- Fenton Street from Cameron Street to Wayne Avenue
- Wayne Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street
- Bonifant Street from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street
- Thayer Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street
- Silver Spring Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street
"Public parking is available in garages on Sligo Avenue, Cameron Street and Bonifant Street. (The Ellsworth Town Center garage will close to the public at 2 a.m. on Nov. 16.) Attendees are encouraged to take the Metro Red Line to the Silver Spring Station for easy access to the parade route," city and county officials said ahead of Saturday.
The Montgomery County Ride On bus routes will also take detours during the parade.
"Alternate bus stops can be found on East West Highway between Colesville Road and 13th Street as well those on Fenton Street between Bonifant Street and Gist Avenue."
Below are all the Ride On bus route changes for Saturday:
Route 12: Leaving SSTC from Ramsey Avenue, left on Wayne Avenue, left on Colesville Road, left on East West Highway, cross over Georgia Avenue, left on Fenton Street, right on Wayne Avenue, back on route. BOTH DIRECTIONS.
Stops Bypassed:
- To SSTC:
- 21154 (Colesville Road & Spring Street)
- 26148 (Spring Street & Ellsworth Drive)
- 20882 (Cedar Street & Pershing Drive)
- To Takoma Station:
- 14677 (Georgia Avenue & Ellsworth Drive)
- 21094 (Colesville Road & Fenton Street)
- 16024 (Colesville Road & Spring Street)
- 26150 (Spring Street & Ellsworth Drive)
- 20884 (Cedar Street & Pershing Drive)
Route 14: Leaving SSTC from Ramsey Avenue, left on Wayne Avenue, left on Colesville Road, left on East West Highway, cross over Georgia Avenue, left on Fenton Street, right Wayne Avenue, left on Dale Drive, right on Colesville Road, back on route. BOTH DIRECTIONS.
Stops Bypassed:
- To SSTC:
- 21146 (Colesville Road & Dale Drive)
- 21148 (Colesville Road & Rowan Road)
- 21150 (Colesville Road & North Noyes Drive)
- 21152 (Colesville Road & Noyes Drive)
- 21154 (Colesville Road & Spring Street)
- To Takoma Station:
- 21094 (Colesville Road & Fenton Street)
- 16024 (Colesville Road & Spring Street)
- 21098 (Colesville Road & Noyes Drive)
- 21100 (Colesville Road & North Noyes Drive)
- 21102 (Colesville Road & Rowan Road)
- 21104 (Colesville Road & Dale Drive)
Route 15: Leaving SSTC from Ramsey Avenue, left on Wayne Avenue, left on Colesville Road, left on East West Highway, cross over Georgia Avenue, left on Fenton Street, right on Wayne Avenue, back on route. BOTH DIRECTIONS.
Stops Bypassed:
- To SSTC:
- 27100 (Wayne Avenue & Fenton Street)
- To Takoma Station:
- 27060 (Wayne Avenue & Fenton Street)
- 27061 (Wayne Avenue & @824)
Route 16: Leaving SSTC, left on Colesville, left on East West Highway, continue across Georgia Avenue, left on Fenton Street, right On Sligo Avenue, back on route. BOTH DIRECTIONS.
Stops Bypassed:
- To SSTC:
- 14874 (Fenton Street & Ellsworth Drive)
- 22170 (Fenton Street & Wayne Avenue)
- 22168 (Fenton Street & Bonifant Street)
- 22166 (Fenton Street & Thayer Avenue)
- 22164 (Fenton Street & Silver Spring Avenue)
- To Takoma Station:
- 14677 (Georgia Avenue & Ellsworth Drive)
- 21094 (Colesville Road & Fenton Street)
- 16038 (Fenton Street & Colesville Road)
- 16011 (Fenton Street & Ellsworth Drive)
- 22178 (Fenton Street & Bonifant Street)
- 17552 (Fenton Street & Thayer Avenue)
- 22182 (Fenton Street & Silver Spring Avenue)
Route 17: Leaving SSTC from Ramsey Avenue, left on Wayne Avenue, left on Colesville Road, left on East West Highway, continue across Georgia Avenue, and stay on Philadelphia Avenue, back on route. BOTH DIRECTIONS.
Stops Bypassed:
- To SSTC:
- 14874 (Fenton Street & Ellsworth Drive)
- 22170 (Fenton Street & Wayne Avenue)
- 22168 (Fenton Street & Bonifant Street)
- 22166 (Fenton Street & Thayer Avenue)
- 22164 (Fenton Street & Silver Spring Avenue)
- 22162 (Fenton Street & Sligo Avenue)
- 22160 (Fenton Street & Philadelphia Avenue)
- To Takoma Station:
- 14677 (Georgia Avenue & Ellsworth Drive)
- 21094 (Colesville Road & Fenton Street)
- 16038 (Fenton Street & Colesville Road)
- 16011 (Fenton Street & Ellsworth Drive)
- 22178 (Fenton Street & Bonifant Street)
- 17552 (Fenton Street & Thayer Avenue)
- 22182 (Fenton Street & Silver Spring Avenue)
- 22184 (Fenton Street & Sligo Avenue)
- 22185 (Fenton Street & Philadelphia Avenue)
Route 20: Leaving SSTC from Ramsey Avenue, left on Wayne Avenue, left on Colesville Road, left on East West Highway, continue across Georgia Avenue, right on Thayer Avenue, back on route. BOTH DIRECTIONS.
Stops Bypassed:
- To SSTC:
- 22168 (Fenton Street & Bonifant Street)
- 22170 (Fenton Street & Wayne Avenue)
- 14874 (Fenton Street & Ellsworth Drive)
- To Hillandale:
- 14677 (Georgia Avenue & Ellsworth Drive)
- 16038 (Fenton Street & Colesville Road)
- 16011 (Fenton Street & Ellsworth Drive)
- 22178 (Fenton Street & Bonifant Street)
Route 28: Leaving SSTC, left on Colesville Road, right on East West Highway, right on 16th Street, right on Georgia Ave, right on Colesville Road, left on East West Highway, right on 13th Street, back on route, 13th Street, back on route.
FLASH To Briggs Chaney TC: Leaving SSTC, left on Ramsey Avenue, left on Colesville Road, right on East-West Highway, right on 16th Street, left on Georgia Avenue, right onto I-495, take Exit 30-A to Colesville Road (northbound), back on route. Stop 30121 (Fenton Street Northbound) will be bypassed.
FLASH To SSTC: From Colesville Road, take I-495 West (towards Bethesda), take Exit 31 (to Georgia Avenue), then left on Georgia Avenue, right on 16th Street, left on East-West Highway, left on Colesville Road, right on Wayne Avenue to the Station. Stop 30122 (Fenton Street Southbound) will be bypassed.
