Mayor Eddie Moran welcomes all to the Reading Holiday Parade, Berks County’s premier holiday parade, on Penn Street on November 19. The parade steps off from 11th and Penn at 10am and features 7 area high school marching bands, the Woodland String Band, which performs annually in the Mummer’s Day Parade, floats, dance groups, and over 75 area organizations. This year’s parade is made possible by the support of the City of Reading, Reading Area Water Authority, Reading Area Community College, Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, County of Berks, WFMZ, and WEEU.
In preparation for the City’s Holiday Parade, those traveling to downtown Reading will experience the following traffic changes:
No Parking Signs will be posted on Friday, November 18, along:
- Penn Street from the 200 through the 1000 block
- 000 block of S 2nd St
- 000 block of N and S 6th St
- 000 block of N and S 10th St
- 000 block of N 11th St
- 1100 block of Perkiomen Ave.
All vehicles parked along this route need to be moved by 6am, as traffic enforcement and towing will begin at 6:30am. At approximately 7am, traffic through City Park will be shut down, and parade participants will have access.
The following streets will be closed to traffic:
- Rose Garden Rd in City Park
- 1100 block of Washington St
- 1100 block of Perkiomen Ave
- 200-1000 blocks of Penn St
- 10th St between Court St and Cherry St
- 000 block of S 7th St,
- 6th St between Court St and Cherry St
- 5th St between Court St and Cherry St
- Cherry St between Apple St and S 2nd St
- 000 block of S 2nd St
- 100 block of Franklin St will be closed to traffic from approximately 8am- 2pm.
All traffic coming into the City via the Penn St Bridge will be directed to turn left on 2nd St and right onto Court St to proceed eastbound.
3rd St, 4th St, 8th St, and 9th St will remain open for traffic traveling north and south across Penn St. The traffic at those intersections will be controlled by a Police Officer who will direct traffic across Penn St, but NO traffic will be permitted to turn onto Penn St.
Parade spectators can park free in the following lots, thanks to the Reading Parking Authority:
- 3rd and Cherry
- 4th and Cherry
- 5th and Cherry
- South Penn Garage
- Chiarelli Garage
- 2nd and Washington Garage
For more information, visit www.readingpa.gov or the Facebook event page.
