Saturday December 17th 2011 | 2 – 3pm | Bishop Field Elementary

The Mummers Parade needs you…and in disguise. The more mummers the merrier! What’s made past Parades so great was you! So shake out those long johns and borrow your Aunt’s size 42 bra. We’re calling all mummers to the Mummers Parade. You don’t see too many mummers parading the streets of St. John’s these days…until now!
Get Parade Route

• December 17th
  2:00PM
  Line Up: Between 1:45 pm and 2:00 pm
• Bishop Field Elementary School
  (46 Bond Street)
  Get directions
• There is no on-site parking available. Free weekend parking is available at metered spots along Duckworth St. and Water St.
• Sunday, December 18th
  (same time and place)

The parade starts at Bishop Field Elementary. Mummers weave through Gower Street, Bannerman Park, and the Georgestown neighbourhood and end at The Rooms for a Christmas Concert and Mummers Jam with music and dancing.

We hope for more mummers than spectators in what might be the most exuberant, participantoriented parade in the province. Bring your music makers, disguises, hobby horses, wren sticks, and dancing feet.

This is an afternoon, community event and everyone is welcome. We do have some rules which must be followed:

• This is a walking parade. Motorized vehicles are not allowed.
• This is a non-commercial event. Advertising, promotions, and give-aways are not permitted. Mummers are experts at the art of disguise so there’s no need to reveal who you are.

Be In The Parade

We hope for more mummers than onlookers in the 3rd Annual Mummers Parade. This is a participant-driven event. The Mummers Parade is open to interpretation so your presence will add colour and shape the outcome. You make it what you want it to be.

There are many ways for you to join in the fun. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Bring together a group of people you know and plan to join in the parade. This could include a group of friends, coworkers, family, community groups, etc. All groups of enthusiatic mummers are welcome.
• If pre-planning is not your style, come to our Rig Up before the parade starts and piece together a disguise on the spot. If you have a disguise already, you can still add a few finishing touches at the Rig Up. The atmosphere alone should entice you to come well before the parade starts.
• Bring your noisemakers! Music and sounds go great with parades. Make an ugly stick. Play a toy accordian or the real deal. How about a pot and a spoon? or carry a boombox with Simani’s “The Mummers Song” on a loop.
• If you know any mummers out there, get them to teach you the ropes. Experienced mummer can give you good tips on how to dress, move, speak, and dance. Ask them the question, “So how do you mummer anyways?” They might teach you a thing or two. And while you’re at it, invite them to come along.
• Throw your own disguise-making event and invite your friends. Read the section on Mummering and Janneying to get a sense of what some mummers choose to wear. Visit our Mummers Festival Facebook group for some visual inspiration.
• Attend our hobby horse making workshops and gallop your way through the parade.
• Make your own wren stick. Hold it high!
• Want to build a float? Go for it! But it cannot be motorized. This is a walking parade only. And build it sturdy (floats will need to be inspected by a parade marshal at least a half hour before the parade starts).