City To Make Decision On Mummers Parade On Saturday

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The bitter blast the Delaware Valley is dealing with is causing concern about the Mummers Parade as officials plan to make a decision about the parade on Saturday.

Rusty Martz, a mummer for 38 years and now president of the Mummers Museum in South Philadelphia, says he understands the concerns facing this year's annual New Year's Day parade.

"I understand the concerns because of the instruments that are involved, I understand the concerns because of the money that's involved putting these outfits together. I also understand the concerns because of the older people that are mummers and younger children that are mummers," said Martz.

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Monday's Mummers parade will be met with bitter cold temperatures, with wind chills dipping into the single digits. It's forcing the city to consider moving the parade to Jan. 6.

The parade route is already lined with barricades and the city will be setting up heating tents and warm buses along the route for the Mummers.

Some bands have started practicing outside as they get acclimated to the bone chilling temperatures.

"I'm hoping it goes off because people will come out for it no matter what," said Freedman.

Mummers fans like Linda Freedman said they will still attend the parade.

"I'm hoping it goes off because we absolutely love it and I'm sure people will come out for it no matter what," said Freedman.

Not everyone, however, shares that same enthusiasm in light of the weather.

"I think they should cancel it and do it another day when the weather is better. I wouldn't come out in this weather to watch the parade," said one woman.

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The weather won't ruin Cecilio Silva's parade as he has a strategy for coping with the brutal cold.

"No, it doesn't matter if it's cold because you have a few drinks and you go," said Silva. "And then, every hour, you go and have another drink and come back."