Mummers consider turning their New Year’s route around

The next Mummers Parade could be taking a new route through Philadelphia. 

The proposal to tweak New Year’s Day tradition has come from the mummers themselves.

They’d like to turn the parade around — start with the judging at City Hall, then take Broad Street to Washington Avenue and end the event in South Philadelphia. The idea is to take the pressure off the marchers and give them the ability to have some fun after the judging is finished.

Parade director Leo Dignam, deputy commissioner with the city Parks and Recreation Department, says there’s interest in the proposal.

“It would be a little bit of an earlier start, and, hopefully, an earlier finish,” he said Wednesday. “And there will be no gaps on TV and hopefully no gaps on the parade route.”

Mayor Michael Nutter says the city is ready to cooperate.

“As long as we have the Mummers Parade on Jan. 1, whatever direction it goes, it’s going to be a fun time … it’s going to be great,” he said. “We’ll work with the Mummers on whatever they want to do and however they want to do it.”

A final decision on the matter should be reached by mid-September.