PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Many of the participants in Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be away from home for the holiday, but making the best of it for the opportunity.

Ben Williams, 17, plays the snare drum and is performing in the parade with his high school marching band from Birmingham, Alabama.

“You know it’s a little bit tough, because everybody is going to see my extended family. I’ll probably be calling my parents and telling them I love them and all that.”

Sandy Schappart, from Wilkes Barre, was watching her daughter perform with other cheerleaders. “Well I was lucky enough that my husband came down as well. My son decided to stay home and have dinner with his grandparents, so that will be nice for him, but we will have a big Thanksgiving dinner at the hotel in the ballroom. It will be a served meal with everybody and we’ll get to watch a video of the parade while we are eating.”

On Friday, some of the out-of-towners say they will be shopping and taking in the sites.

Reported by John McDevitt, KYW Newsradio 1060