AP News, January 6th, 2007
Thousands of outrageously garbed men finally strolled up Broad Street on Saturday in balmy weather, five days after rain scratched the Mummers Parade's traditional New Year's Day start.
The quirky procession often takes place in bone-chilling temperatures, but after lingering showers cleared, some marchers and gawkers shed long underwear in favor of sandals and skimpy dresses.
Decked out in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, architect Michael Resnic looked like he'd fit in at the Rose Parade. He found himself buying ice cream instead of hot chocolate for his 3-year-old son Jack.
"It's always a fun time, it doesn't matter if it's 70 (degrees) or 20," Resnic said. "It's good for the city."
About 100,000 people, down from 2 million in the parade's heyday in the 1940s, typically turn out for what is sometimes called Philadelphia's Mardi Gras.
Some 10,000 performers _ nearly all men _ perform, with competitions for satirists, flashiest outfits, choreographed theatrical works and string bands. Costumes can weigh up to 150 pounds and often boast exotic features such as imported ostrich feathers.
Michael Ellis didn't have to worry about his costume weighing him down Saturday. He marched in a bare-backed slip dress after ditching the layers.
"I had long johns on like everyone else, but it was so hot, so I took them off," said Ellis, 22, of Williamstown, N.J., who was strutting for the first time. "People were whistling."
Resnic found an added benefit in the New Year's delay, noting that fewer people were tired or hung over.
"It's never been so spotless and organized," he said.
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On the Net:
Mummers Parade: http://www.mummers.com/
