PLYMOUTH, Massachusetts — Fresh off their 2025 Drum Corps International World Championship title, the Boston Crusaders’ historic accomplishment will be recognized during one of the nation’s biggest pre-Thanksgiving events — the America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration on Saturday, November 22.
The multi-day event is anchored by its centerpiece parade, which steps off from Plymouth Rock — the iconic symbol of the Pilgrims’ 1620 arrival — at 10 a.m. ET. The annual showcase is billed as “America’s only historically accurate chronological parade, visually bringing to life America’s rich heritage representing each century from the 17th through the 21st.”
Featuring floats decorated to convey historic events and mark national anniversaries, this year is also expected to feature one dedicated to the Boston Crusaders thanks to the organizing of Olly deMacedo, the executive director of America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration, and Barbara Gobbi DiRusso, the longtime producer/director of Plymouth’s National Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps Concert.
According to Boston Crusaders CEO Chris Holland, the organization will have 60-90 seconds of airtime with broadcasters between floats to talk about the corps. The float will be ridden by select performers from the 2025 World Champion group, as well as local volunteers and staff.
Deep drum corps roots
America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration is no stranger to the drum corps and marching music activities. For decades the event has featured corps and marching bands in the parade as well as the “Musical Hometown Program” a concert which features a wide-variety of senior and alumni drum and bugle corps. This year’s event the evening of Saturday, November 22, at Plymouth Memorial Hall (83 Court St., Plymouth, MA) is scheduled to include:
- University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band
- Defenders Concert Corps
- Connecticut Alumni Senior Drum & Bugle Corps
- North Star Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps
- Crusaders Senior Drum & Bugle Corps
- New York Skyliners Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps
- Blessed Sacrament Golden Knight Senior Drum & Bugle Corps
- Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps
How to watch
The parade will be broadcast live on Boston’s WCVB Channel 5 on Saturday, November 22, beginning at 10 a.m. ET. An encore broadcast will air on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 27, at 9 a.m. ET.
For those outside the area, streaming and on-demand access to the parade will also be available through usathanksgiving.com as well as the VeryLocal app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.
Learn more about America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration
