Suraya, the Michelin-recognized Lebanese restaurant in Fishtown, will temporarily close Friday after a nearby rooftop fire left the restaurant without gas.
The Philadelphia Fire Department arrived to fire on the roof of a two-story building on the 1500 block of Frankford Avenue late Thursday night. The department controlled the fire within 20 minutes and there were no reported injuries. The cause was under investigation.
However, Suraya reported that its building was still without gas service and wouldn’t open until the service was restored.
“We are incredibly grateful that our team was unharmed in the fire. We are temporarily without gas, so we cannot open the restaurant. The Suraya team will be working with local authorities to support their ongoing investigation and appreciates the community’s support,” said a spokesperson for Defined Hospitality, the restaurant group that includes Suraya.
Halabi kebabs and the samke harra are pictured at Suraya in Philadelphia’s Fishtown section on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020.
Updates on the restaurant opening will be posted on social media at @surayaphilly.
Suraya, named after the sibling-cowners Nathalie Richan and Roland Kassis’ grandmother in Beirut, was just recognized by the Michelin Guide for its welcoming presence, rich Middle East and Levant-inspired menu, and expansive offerings from the bakery and shop up front to its open kitchen and outdoor dining area.
At 9 years old, Jim Donovan would share with his parents his dreams of becoming a journalist. Around that time, he also flicked through the Guinness Book of World Records, thinking it would be cool to set one himself one day.
Guinness World Records verified on Dec. 8 that the 15-time Emmy winner is now the owner of the world’s largest sock collection at 1,531 pairs, many of which have eccentric designs, including Friends and Star Trek-themed socks, and every color of the rainbow. Donovan announced the achievement before his final day on-air at CBS Philadelphia on Dec. 19.
Jim Donovan’s 1,531 pairs of socks laid out on the floor of CBS Philadelphia studios while Donovan and two independent experts counted each sock on camera to be submitted to the Guinness World Records.
While Donovan said he’s immensely grateful for a ceremonious end to a long career — a feat he admits can be rare in the world of journalism — preparing his Guinness World Record application was also a difficult project.
“I’ve done major investigation pieces and consumer stories over four decades of TV, and this was the thing that nearly pushed me over the edge,” he said of the nearly 40 hours of inventory work required to painstakingly document each pair of socks.
Jim Donovan takes inventory of the thousands of socks he submitted for a Guinness World Record. After 40 years in broadcast journalism, he will be retiring. But, not before receiving the world record on Dec. 8, 2025.
Donovan questioned himself at times when the hours of inventory work became overwhelming, but he remembered that this record was, in part, meant to thank his fans for their decades of support.
Guinness requires applicants to have two independent third-party experts oversee the counting of the world records. Two members of Thomas Jefferson University’s fashion merchandising and management program, Juliana Guglielmi-DeRosa and Jeneene Bailey-Allen, stepped up to facilitate Donovan’s counting. Together, the two experts and Donovan recorded the counting of socks for more than an hour inside CBS Philadelphia studios, without interruptions or editing of the footage, as required by Guinness.
Digital images of Jim Donovan’s socks that he submitted for a Guinness World Record. He received recognition for his 1,531 pairs of socks on Dec. 8, 2025.
Donovan would then embed pictures and descriptions of each sock into what became a 262-page spreadsheet so that Guinness inspectors could verify the count at a later date. During the final count, Guglielmi-DeRosa and Bailey-Allen gifted Donovan an additional pair of socks, bringing the unofficial total to 1,532, but there was no way he was going to redo the spreadsheet, Donovan said.
“I just remember when I was a kid looking in that Guinness World Records book and thinking, ‘Boy, it would be cool to do this.’ And here I am now, 59 years old, and I finally checked off one of those kid bucket list items,” Donovan said.
Storing thousands of socks is no small feat, either. Folded and stacked inside dozens of bins, with 48 pairs per bin, Donovan has an entire closet dedicated to the socks. Each box contains different categories, from animals to food to holidays, and more.
Jim Donovan holds his Guinness World Records plaque verifying that he owns the largest sock collection in the world at 1,531 pairs of socks. He received the recognition on Dec. 8, 2025.
The first openly LGBTQ+ news anchor in Philadelphia, Donovan garnered a loyal fan base with whom he frequently chatted during his daily Facebook livestreams outside of his regular broadcasts. Around eight years ago, fans noticed Donovan’s penchant for socks with bold colors and designs, and started sending the journalist socks to wear on-air.
During the winter holidays, it was Santa socks; birthdays, it was socks with his face on them; and randomly, folks would get creative, Donovan said, sending him Spock socks (complete with Spock ears), flamingos playing golf, and Superman socks with a cape.
In his final week on-air at CBS Philadelphia, where he was for 22 years, the station celebrated each day as part of a “Week of Jim.” In retirement, Donovan plans to spend more time with his father, who lives on Staten Island, N.Y., and dive into volunteering and nonprofit work.
Now he’ll be enjoying retirement as a world-record holder. Donovan said he’seven starting to get messages from other Guinness World Record holders welcoming him to the club.
Think you know your news? There’s only one way to find out. Welcome back to our weekly News Quiz — a quick way to see if your reading habits are sinking in and to put your local news knowledge to the test.
Question 1 of 10
A recent Inquirer article documented how two regional political figures with differing views have become unlikely friends. Who is the pair featured in the story?
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The two come from different parties and have vastly different approaches to their jobs — including their approaches to President Donald Trump. But that hasn't stopped Attorneys General Dave Sunday and Matt Platkin from working together.
Question 2 of 10
Northwestern University announced it hired this former Eagle (we won’t give away if it’s a player or staffer) as its new offensive coordinator:
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Former Eagles coach Chip Kelly, 62, will serve as Northwestern’s offensive coordinator, the college announced Tuesday. Kelly served in the same role for the Las Vegas Raiders this season, but he was fired on Nov. 23 after the team’s 2-9 start. He has been a head coach with the Eagles (2013-15) and the San Francisco 49ers (2016). In the college game, he was head coach at Oregon (2009-12) and UCLA (2018-23). He also was offensive coordinator at Ohio State last season as the Buckeyes captured the national championship.
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WXPN host Joey Sweeney told The Inquirer about his perfect Philly day. It starts with a coffee near his house. What’s his cafe of choice?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Sweeney is a big fan of Loretta’s where he usually orders a coffee and a chocolate croissant. He also enjoys the cafe’s Betty sandwich, a breakfast sandwich with egg, bacon, and pimento cheese.
Question 4 of 10
What object was featured at Cherry Street Pier for New Year’s Eve celebrations?
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A 2,000-pound “sibling” Liberty Bell, typically displayed at the National Liberty Museum at Fourth and Chestnut Streets, and produced by the same London-based foundry as the original, was temporarily moved to the Cherry Street Pier as part of the city’s New Year’s on the Pier celebration Wednesday night.
Question 5 of 10
This Philly-based restaurant chain continues to expand nationally, with 71 existing locations across the country and plans for 18 more in 2026.
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Honeygrow, the fast-casual eatery based in Center City, plans to open up to 18 new locations next year, founder and CEO Justin Rosenberg told The Inquirer. Honeygrow sells made-to-order stir-fries, salads, and desserts. Since launching in 2012, the company has grown to 71 locations across several states, including Ohio, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New York. The company’s expansion plans include adding locations in Ohio and New Jersey, as well as in Boston. The eatery is also in negotiations to bring Honeygrow to the Detroit metropolitan area.
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Question 6 of 10
TikTok content creator Daniel Rodriguez, who lives in Philly’s Jewelers’ Row, gained popularity documenting his weekly super-commute from Philadelphia to this city for work:
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Rodriguez ping pongs between his home (and his Center City office) in Philadelphia and his office in midtown Atlanta, twice a week. He’s mostly car adverse and relies on public transportation as much as possible in both cities.
Question 7 of 10
This renowned guitar company — which has made instruments played by Kurt Cobain, Hank Williams, and countless other star musicians over the years — is headquartered in Nazareth, Pa.
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Founded in New York City in 1833 by German luthier Christian Frederick Martin, Martin Guitars, best known for its artisanal acoustic guitars, moved to Nazareth in 1839 and has crafted 3 million guitars.
Question 8 of 10
Where was the Christmas song “O Little Town of Bethlehem” first composed and played?
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"O Little Town of Bethlehem" was composed in Philadelphia by the Rev. Phillips Brooks and his church organist, Lewis Redner, at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Rittenhouse Square. Brooks wrote the poem and asked Redner to create the music for a Christmas performance at their church. Despite some hesitation and delay, Redner reportedly came up with the tune after an inspirational moment on the night before the service, writing it down hastily before finalizing it with harmony just in time for the Sunday service.
Question 9 of 10
As evidenced by TikTok content and now a pop-up concept from a local Philly chef, food writer Kiki Aranita says this is the latest food trend to watch for:
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The baked potato has gained traction again fairly recently. There’s chef Ange Branca’s Mod Spuds, which puts a Malaysian-Philadelphian spin on English jacket potatoes. She offers an array of toppings, from a Philly cheesesteak loaded potato to one topped with Branca’s legendary beef rendang. On TikTok, baked potatoes were buoyed by Nara Smith, who made a “jacket potato tutorial” for her 12.3 million followers. And viral UK-based SpudBros has become a global brand with multiple locations, millions of followers, and food trucks, including one heading to Philly.
Question 10 of 10
A wallaby escaped from a South Jersey petting zoo before a family helped catch them at a Walmart about a half-mile away. What is the Wallaby’s name?
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The 3-year-old wallaby’s name is Rex. He’s 3 feet tall, gray, and can typically be found at the Lots of Love Farm in Williamstown, Gloucester County.
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The bride wore a sequin silk gown with golden sneakers. The groom, a bedazzled tux. They became husband and wife in the bitter cold of Market Street — in the middle of the Mummers Parade.
Juliana Bonilla, 25, and Stanley Wells, 32, met online three years ago. And they never envisioned their love story would include a storybook Mummers Parade wedding. But on Thursday, the pair, who marched with the Hegeman String Band, officially tied the knot as part of a Mummers Parade performance.
The wedding was a first, said Kelliann Gallagher, captain of Hegeman. At least in the string band division, anyway, she said. At least that anyone had ever heard of.
Julianna Bonilla (middle) and Stanley Wells (right) kiss after saying “I DO” and being officially married by Hegeman String Band captain Kelliann Gallagher (left) during the 2026 Mummers Parade in Philadelphia on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.
The Mummers Day matrimony had come together by chance, explained Gallagher, who served as the officiant.
Back in October, the South Philly string band was finalizing its parade plans when it struck Gallagher that a real wedding would be the perfect ending to their Las Vegas-themed routine.
“Of course, one of the aspects of Vegas is the little white wedding chapel,” said Gallagher. “So we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we can get someone to actually be married on New Year’s Day?”
They just needed a couple.
Evie Pastor, who serves as sergeant-at-arms for Hegeman, thought of her recently engaged daughter, Juliana. She had grown up around the Mummers, and her stepfather, Jon Pastor, plays first alto saxophone in the string band.
After all, Bonilla, of South Philadelphia, and Wells, of North Philadelphia, who both work as home healthcare aides, had a very Philly courtship. Their first date three years ago was at a Delaware Avenue eatery, where they watched the Eagles play.
She had fallen for him immediately.
“He was a gentleman,” Bonilla said of Wells.
He was drawn to her beauty and humor.
By October, the couple who have a daughter, Kehlani, 2, had already picked out a venue. Bonilla, who is shy and nervous in front of large crowds, was hesitant when her mother asked about a Mummers wedding.
“I don’t like all the attention on me,” she said.
But the more she thought of it, the more the idea grew on her. It would be special. She would be marching anyway. But this year, instead of a parade marshal, she’d be the bride.
“It was something different,” she said.
Julianna Bonilla (left) and Stanley Wells go over wedding service details before being married by Hegeman String Band captain Kelliann Gallagher (right) during the 2026 Mummers Parade in Philadelphia on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.
Her nerves grew as the parade drew close, and it had nothing to do with Wells. It was about the crowds and the television cameras that would be filming the band’s performance — and her wedding.
She found a long-sleeve gown with a long train and a Mummers vibe. And on Thursday morning, she and Stanley posed in front of the band’s Second Street clubhouse, showing off their golden sneakers.
They practiced their vows on the bus ride to Market Street, where the bands would perform before the judges. The bride packed a flask of Southern Comfort to warm herself against the cold — and to calm herself about the crowds.
And then they waited on Market Street — for hours — due to delays caused when the String Band Division called off its competition because of punishing winds. Many props were destroyed, and five people were sent to the hospital Thursday morning, Mummers officials said.
While no longer competing, the bands would still march.
By 4 p.m., Hegemen String Band finally begun to inch toward the bright lights and crowds at City Hall. As Jon Pastor played “Can’t Help Falling in Love” on his sax, Bonilla and Wells stepped off the band’s bus.
Taking each other’s hands before Gallagher, who would officiate in a bedazzled Elvis get-up, they wanted to at least exchange their vows in the quiet moments before the performance.
“I promise to stand by your side, to support and cherish you in all the seasons of your life,” Wells said.
“I promise to love you without condition or expectation, exactly as you are today and every day after.”
Stanley Wells (left) and Julianna Bonilla kiss after being married by Hegeman String Band captain Kelliann Gallagher during the 2026 Mummers Parade in Philadelphia on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.
Then, with a showman’s touch, Gallagher shouted, “Stay tuned for the rest of the wedding.”
That took place a short while later, as the band performed its routine under the stars of Market Street. Braving the cold and the crowds, the couple strutted to the front of the line, each holding aloft signs saying, “I do.”
With that, Gallagher pronounced them man and wife to the grandstand cheers.
Evie Pastor began to cry.
“That’s enough, get a room,” joked a parade emcee, as the couple’s kiss lingered.
With that, Juliana Bonilla and Stanley Wells, now husband and wife, strutted down Broad Street, the bride’s nerves finally eased by the overwhelming emotion of the moment.
“I’m glad its done with,” she said. “I can get warm now.”
With sequins and glitter, music and pageantry, the nation’s oldest folk parade strutted through downtown Philadelphia on Thursday, delighting thousands who lined Broad Street despite fierce, damaging, and bitter winds.
Over 125 years, there have been weather events — postponements because of cold, rain and snow and, in 2021, a COVID cancellation. But for the first time in Mummers history, one part of the parade was suspended.
The popular String Band Division called off its competition because of punishing winds that destroyed props and sent five people to the hospital early Thursday morning during parade setup. Each of the 14 string bands marched later Thursday, playing music in costumes and makeup, but solely for entertainment purposes and not with their planned routines.
A full string band competition, with judges and routines the clubs have spent a full year devising and practicing, will happen on a yet-to-be-determined date, after logistics and finances are worked out.
Still, the 2026 parade was quintessentially Philadelphia — not perfect, but full of heart-on-its-sleeve scrappiness.
Ryan Echols, president of the Hegeman String Band, said the group had shortened its performance and packed up props due to the gusty wind, but still came to play.
“The parade still goes on, regardless,” said Echols. “We’re still here to perform for the city of Philadelphia.”
The cancellation had thrown a wrench in the day, said Nick Magenta, captain of the Polish American String Band.
“You get used to all these years — how the parade goes, how the morning goes,” he said. “When you have something like those, it kind of throws you off your focus.”
Still, Mummer morale remained high, he said.
“You can’t change it, regardless,” said Magenta. “Everyone is just looking forward to being out here and celebrating the new year.”
Musicians with the Uptown String Band arrive on buses, to play for their theme of “From Script to Screen,” highlighting the golden age of Hollywood movie making.
‘Things were just being ripped out of our hands’
String band officials saw the forecasts: possible snow squalls and wind gusts early Thursday morning. They monitored forecasts hour by hour.
But in the 5 a.m. reality of readying “a mobile Broadway show,” it quickly became apparent that they were not gusts, but, on Broad Street, sustained 30-mile-per-hour winds. As clubs set up their elaborate props, five people sustained injuries that sent them to the hospital. Some clubs had important set pieces destroyed.
“We did everything precaution-wise — sandbags and all of that,” said Sam Regalbuto, president of the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association. “But as they were trying to assemble, things were just being ripped out of our hands.”
Regalbuto quickly called a meeting of association delegates, and the consensus was to suspend the competition but still march. Only a little differently, not putting anyone at a disadvantage, because several bands had lost key pieces of their show.
Sam Regalbuto, president of the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association, pauses for a photo with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, during the Mummers Parade Thursday. The string band competition was suspended because of high winds that destroyed props and caused injuries during morning setup. The bands still marched and played their music, but did not carry props, and would not be judged.
Even into the afternoon, winds were still brisk, with temperatures in the 30s. (Cold temperatures are scheduled to continue into the weekend.)
“We’ve lost sets, we’ve lost props that we’ve worked 365 days to put together to bring you the best possible string band spectacular that we do every year,” he said. “It was very hard for all of us, as a unit, to make this decision.”
After the last Comic Divisions finished, it was showtime for the strings, with Duffy String Band leading off.
Crowds seemed unfazed by the amended show. Some Mummers wore beanies instead of their typical elaborate headpieces.
A jubilant Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s spirits were undimmed by the changes.
“I want you to remember how much time, energy, and practice and effort goes into preparing,” Parker said. “Don’t forget about the generations of families who are here. We are proud, and this is our Philly tradition.”
‘Our thing, together’
Dressed in handmade, bedazzled Colonial-era costumes, Joe Bongard, 47, and his teenage daughter, Lucy, were the first Mummers to march.
By parade time, it had almost seemed like they hadn’t slept in days, the Bongards said. Father and daughter had been preparing since September.
Bruce Platt, a parade marshal for 17 years, holds back the rush of Froggy Carr wenches as they take off for their TV start time march,
In the final hours before Parade Day, Lucy sewed her bejeweled and sparkled red-white-and-blue Colonial-era woman’s costume. Meanwhile, her father, who is in his first year as captain of Golden Sunrise Fancy Club, applied finishing touches to his Ben Franklin outfit and practiced his knee step for the dance routine.
Poised in the warming glow of the television cameras, their patriotic sequins and feathers rustling in the icy wind, Joe and Lucy Bongard said this is what they love to do.
“It’s our thing, together,” Joe Bongard said.
Proudly watching her husband and daughter from the grandstand, Erika Bongard laughed when she said that, for her, the Mummers Parade represented something else entirely. “Honestly for me, lots of cleaning, because there is sequins and glitter everywhere for months,” she said, recording as Joe and Lucy began to strut and dance to Rocky theme song “Gonna Fly Now,” officially kicking things off.
“Clearly, Lucy got her rhythm from me, and not Joe,” said Erika Bongard, beaming about her daughter’s smooth steps.
McKenna Wei, 7, gets help putting on a set of beads given to her by a passing Mummer Wench as the Newtown Square family watches the Mummers Parade Thursday, the 125th anniversary of Philly’s iconic New Year’s Day celebration. From left is grandmother Qin; sister Mabel, 12; mom, Helen and dad, Michael.
Nearby, Ellie Jozefowski, 75, fought back tears as she strutted in a sequined Flyers jacket. The tears come easily every year for Jozefowski, a parade veteran of more than three decades.
Thursday was no different. They flowed freely as four generations of Jozefowskis marched together for Golden Sunrise, including Ellie’s 7-month-old grandson, Peter, bundled up in a cheesesteak costume and carried by his mother, Molly.
“I’m crying because I’m happy!” shouted Ellie Jozefowski.
Farther back in line, Mummer Brian Creamer, of South Philly, shivered over his coffee. His young daughter, Amita, also a Mummer, had helped him bejewel his pirate king costume. He would not miss it for the cold or the wind, he said.
“It’s about spreading the new year joy,” he said.
Even farther back, wenches Ricky Dinaro, 35, and his pal, Anthony Putnick, warmed themselves on the regenerative powers of Miller Lite.
They’d been born into the parade, they said, and marched all their lives. They had been drinking for hours.
“I stayed up all night,” said Putnick, of the MGK Outsiders NYB.
Others had found their way into the longest-running continuous folk parade.
Cheyenne Cohen, of Golden Sunrise, grew up in Northern California before joining the Mummers three years ago after she moved to Philly. There was nothing like the Mummers in Santa Cruz, she said, adding that she now also works at the Mummers Museum in South Philly.
“Absolutely, the most welcoming community,” she said of her sequined and feathered found family.
It was a parade of firsts for the Mummers of the Philadelphia Chinese Community Organization United troupe.
Celebrating its inaugural year, the Chinatown Mummers danced traditional Chinese folk dances, which many members practiced late nights after their restaurant jobs.
“We want to welcome people to Chinatown and show our culture,” said member Holly Ming.
In the crowded grandstands, new and old fans shivered.
Kenzie McBride thought what better year to score front-row grandstand seats for her stepmother, Jennifer Smithson, than the 125th anniversary?
Smithson, bundled in a blanket, approved.
“It’s been on my bucket list,” she said.
And though some would-be parade-goers stayed home because of the string band news, plenty came out to enjoy the iconic parade anyway.
In the grandstands as darkness fell, Patrick Finnegan, 46, of Oreland, danced with his son, Dylan, 6, on his shoulders. His 8-year-old twins, Arielle and Melody, were by his side.
It was the first time he had brought the kids to the parade.
The cancellations didn’t affect their fun, Finnegan said.
“It’s all about riding the train downtown to see the Mummers,” Finnegan said, mid-strut. “My wife thinks I’m crazy.”
Seeing the Mummers’ New Year’s Day parade became something of a running joke to Avril Davidge and her family.
You see, they live in Wales and Davidge is now a 93-year-old grandmother who rarely leaves her flat. She didn’t have a passport, nor had she been on a plane in 30 years. She’d never been to the United Statesand she jokes she could die tomorrow.
But after going down a YouTube rabbit hole and becoming what can only be described as obsessed with the tradition two years ago, she would often say things like “when we go to Philadelphia” or “when I see my Mummers.”
“It’s done a lot for me,” Davidge said. She had her granddaughter set her Mummers YouTube videos on autoplay since she can’t figure out the search function.“Even having breakfast, I put it on. It starts the day right for me.”
While the Mummers Parade can draw drastically divergent opinions at home, where some see it as a beloved multigenerational tradition and others paint it as an excuse for people to get drunk on Two Street, Davidge sees it as a connection to her late husband. She doesn’t know anyone in Wales who has even heard of Mummery, but deep in her heart, she knows it’s something her husband of 70 years would have loved. He died two years ago and she discovered her first Mummers video weeks later.
Quaker City String Band Captain Jimmy Good pushes the wheelchair of “Queen Mumm” Avril Davidge doing a Mummers strut. Davidge is a 93 year old Welsh grandma who came to the United States for the first time to see the Mummers.
Eventually, her family decided to give Davidge the trip of a lifetime to witness the 10,000-person spectacle that has ushered in the new year for Philadelphians for 125 years.Davidge will be among the many spectators watching the Mummers Parade take Broad Street on Thursday.
Using the power of social media and propelled by her family, Davidge landed Tuesday at Philadelphia International Airport, greeted by a Rocky statue — another bit of culture she loves. On Wednesday she was surprised with a trip to the Mummers Museum in South Philadelphia, where she delighted in a private tour: Yes, they’re real ostrich feathers on the costumes, and one of the more elaborate costumes can weigh 150 pounds.
Then she met Jimmy Good, captain of the Quaker City String Band, and a personal favorite of Davidge’s. Her family said Davidge often quiets them down with a “my Jimmy is on.”
“I’ll never forget this,” she told Good, complimenting what she called his beautiful smile and showing him her golden shoes, a nod to dem golden slippers. “Never.”
The two even strutted in the museum, Good pushing Davidge in her wheelchair as she lifted a gifted satin umbrella.
It was a scene Davidge’s family could hardly believe was playing out. Just a few weeks ago, they thought Davidge was at death’s door.
Divine intervention brings the Mummers to Wales
When Davidge’s husband died, she was “feeling low,” as she calls it.
Then the YouTube algorithm, programmed by her granddaughter to show her United Kingdom marching bands, showed her a clip of the Quaker City String Band performing “Make Believe,” a song Davidge and her husband loved. Her family felt it was almost a form of divine intervention.
Something about the string bands, the costumes, the performances offered a comfort Davidge needed. Soon, the Mummers were all she was watching and she quickly developed an encyclopedic knowledge of the longtime Philadelphian tradition.
The 1999 Quaker City String Band theme of “Reflections of Old Moscow” is a legendary performance, Davidge said, and then-captain Bob Shannon Jr. remains her all-time favorite.
She was in awe as she learned Shannon stood at 6-foot-10; the old YouTube clips are grainy and don’t do the performances justice.
Connecting Philly and Wales through social media
Davidge’s love for the Mummers has been contagious, family members say, not that they’ve had much of a choice.
Last year, Fiona Smillie-Hedges, Davidge’s granddaughter, asked a friend, American expat Wendy Ratcliffe, if she had heard of the Mummers.
Ratcliffe, whose maternal side of the family is scattered around Southeastern Pennsylvania, was floored.
“I said, vast swaths of the country would have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said.
When Ratcliffe’s family visited her, they brought a Mummers mug and other Philly merch for the grandmother they had heard so much about. The mug is not for use and remains propped in front of Davidge’s television.
Last Christmas, Davidge even got a Mummers book, which she calls her bible.
By 2025, the joke of going to Philly felt more like an inevitability. Smillie-Hedges, 38, tried to figure out how to maximize the experience and took to TikTok and Instagram to get some advice. She needed to know how people kept warm, how to get a good view of the string bands, and where to stay.
Soon she was in touch with Jim Donio, host of the String Band Sessions podcast, a longtime Mummer who led the broadcasts from 1985 to 1987.
Donio arranged for the museum tour and asked Good to set some time aside to meet Davidge.
“I need[ed] to step in here and do what I can to make this dream happen and make this dream come true,” Donio said.
But as Donio — who calls Davidge “Queen Mumm” — worked stateside, Davidge caught some sort of virus a few weeks ago, which at her age can be deadly.
Davidge said she thought she wouldn’t make it.
But Smillie-Hedges said the family used the Philadelphia trip to motivate her into eating and staying positive.
“She’s worked very hard to be here, to be well enough,” Smillie-Hedges said. “Every time I was like, you must eat this, you must drink that. Come on, Rocky training for Philly.”
On Wednesday, Davidge was all smiles. Her hotel overlooks Broad Street should she get cold and need to duck in for warmth. Unbeknownst to her, Donio also arranged for a golf cart to get her, Ratcliffe, Smillie-Hedges, and Davidge’s daughter Kay Hedges to their VIP seats by the judges’ table.
The whole trip feels implausible to the family, yet the only natural outcome.
“[Davidge] didn’t find the Mummers until it was literally a couple of weeks after my granddad had passed,” Smillie-Hedges said. “I swear it was meant to be.”
Fans braved the bitter cold to attend the free New Year’s Eve concert in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum and watch a midnight fireworks display kicking off the city’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The concert was headlined by LL Cool J, the two-time Grammy-winning rapper who also has had a long career in movies and TV, including as a regular cast member on the series NCIS: Los Angeles.
About 10 minutes to midnight, LL Cool J brought out Philadelphia-based rapper Freeway as a surprise guest.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker joined the stage just before 10 p.m. to welcome another headliner, DJ Jazzy Jeff, alongside radio personality Lady B.
“My mayor is a hip-hop head,” Lady B said. Parker told the crowd: “Tonight, we remind the nation, that we are one America, a united nation.”
After taking the stage, Parker told a gaggle of reporters “what you are seeing is ‘one Philly, a united city’ in action” — referencing her mayoral slogan.
“Philadelphia is the birthplace of democracy, sixth-largest city in the nation — Why wouldn’t we kick off 2026, the Semiquincentennial, the 250th birthday of our nation?” she said. “Because Philadelphia, it’s where it happened.”
When asked if the free concert will become an annual tradition, Parker quipped, “Well, the budget process.” (A final price tag on the event was not yet available.)
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and Lady B (right) dance to DJ Jazzy Jeff during Philadelphia’s free New Year’s Eve concert and fireworks display, at the Oval on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.
As for Parker’s resolutions for Philly in 2026: “To work harder, to dream bigger, and to do the impossible.
“We have a lot of challenges to address here in our city, but with our amazing team, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish together,” she said.
Taking the stage shortly after 8 p.m., multi-instrumentalist Adam Blackstone, the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts graduate and University of the Arts alum who has since performed with some of the world’s most popular musical artists, declared: “I’m home right now. They told me Philly’s the spot to be.”
Just before 11:30 p.m., attendance had grown to around 7,500 and was still growing, according to the show’s producer, Scott Mirkin, of ESM Productions. The final crowd estimate was 10,000 attendees, according to ESM.
The crowd had been modest up to around 10 p.m., but a late surge may have included people only interested in seeing LL Cool J or the fireworks display after the concert.
All were bundled in winter gear as the wind chill dipped into the 20s and even flurries made a late-night appearance.
Performers repeatedly commented on the frigid temperatures Wednesday night.
“I know it’s cold but we’re going to warm you up,” Dorothy frontwoman Dorothy Martin told concertgoers.
Martin later said: “I know you’re cold, but your heart is warm.”
The temperature made Fairmount residents Corey Fletcher, 32, and Alyza Ngbokoli, 30, hesitate, despite the draw of Cool J and Jazzy Jeff. Both were surprised by the prospect of an outdoor concert in the winter.
“It’s hard to breathe — it hurts my lungs,” Fletcher said of the cold. (Fletcher said fall is the ideal season for outdoor events; Ngbokoli said summer.)
For next year, Ngbokoli recommended organizers invest in heat lamps or warming tents. This year, concertgoers had the option of purchasing a hot meal — fried desserts, fried chicken, or lobster bisque from various food trucks — hot apple cider, hot chocolate, or $8 White Claws and other spirits.
Adam Blackstone performs during Philadelphia’s free New Year’s Eve concert and fireworks display, at the Oval on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.
Die-hard fans were undeterred by the cold.
Sarah and Mike Murray, of Wilkes-Barre, estimate they’ve seen Cool J in concert “almost double-digits.”
“He’s easy on the eyes,” Sarah, 46, said.
“You can’t argue with that,” chimed Mike, 54. “He’s LL — ladies love him.”
The Cool J enthusiasts were supposed to see him perform on the Parkway on July 4, but the “Mama Said Knock You Out” and “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” singer canceled in solidarity with striking municipal workers.
What are the Murrays looking forward to in 2026?
“See LL Cool J more,” Mike said.
Cousins Tahira and Sean Tyler came to the Ben Franklin Parkway expecting a party. It was 55-year-old Sean Tyler’s first New Year’s Eve out on the town, and both were drawn in by LL Cool J.
Sean Tyler, of Overbrook Park, said she remembered in the ‘80s listening to the then-new artist’s first single on Power 99, but had never seen him live. Both Tylers discovered newfound appreciation for LL Cool J canceling his summer concert in solidarity with striking city workers.
“It showed how many people that it affected, and how much in wages, benefits — it shows how much it affects a broad range of people,” Sean Tyler said.
Upon walking into the barricaded Parkway, Sean and Tahira said the visible Philadelphia police presence and security measures made them feel safe.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel has said police will be out in full force, and asked concertgoers to leave weapons at home.
Tahira said the show, featuring local talents — like Blackstone and Jazzy Jeff — is the perfect way to ring in 2026, and the nation’s 250th birthday.
Tahira said: “Let’s continue to love Philly in the right kind of way — “
Two men were in stable condition after sustaining stab wounds on SEPTA’s Broad Street Line late Wednesday afternoon, a transit agency spokesperson said.
The stabbings happened around 4 p.m. on a northbound Broad Street Line train, said SEPTA spokesperson John Golden.
Because of police activity at the Broad-Girard Station, northbound B1, B2, and B3 trains were bypassing the station for several hours.
Shortly after 10:30 p.m., Golden said a suspect had been taken into custody by SEPTA Transit Police.
B1,B2,B3: Northbound B1, B2, and B3 trains are bypassing Girard Station due to police activity.
A 31-year-old man was fatally shot — allegedly by his 38-year-old brother — in the parking lot of a shopping center Wednesday evening in the Eastwick section of Southwest Philadelphia, police said.
Just before 6:10 p.m., nearby police officers responded to the sound of gunfire at the Penrose Plaza Shopping Center at 2900 Island Ave. and found the victim with two gunshot wounds to the chest, police said.
The man was transported by police to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m.
Inspector D.F. Pace said the brothers, whose identities were not released, were believed to be arguing about money when the shooting happened.
The older brother was quickly taken into custody, Pace said.
The new pedestrian bridge extension coming to Society Hill and Queen Village, which will better connect the neighborhoods to the Delaware River waterfront, is reaching a milestone.
The South Street Pedestrian Bridge expansion will extendthe existing redbrick footbridge constructed in the mid-1990s with a longer and more distinctive suspended archway bridge, as part of the long-planned I-95 capping project. Construction begins this spring, but the bridge will not be open to the public until 2027, a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesperson said.
A rendering of the South Street Pedestrian Bridge extension that will better connect South Street to the Delaware River waterfront. Construction will begin in Spring 2026 and go through 2027, when the bridge will open to pedestrians and cyclists.
The 250-foot-long bridge will allow pedestrians to cross over Columbus Boulevard and I-95 with entrances at South Street and Lombard Circle that have more accessible walkways for people with disabilities. Pedestrian access to the waterfront is crucial for people on South Street visiting attractions like Penn’s Landing, Cherry Street Pier, and Spruce Street Harbor Park.
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Construction will use an installation method in which the archways are built at a nearby location and then rolled into place, instead of being built on-site.
“The contractor was able to eliminate long-term lane closures and full closures on Columbus Boulevard,” PennDot spokesperson Brad Rudolph said. “While this method is fairly common, it is the first time PennDot has performed it in [Southeastern Pennsylvania] with this type of pedestrian structure.”
An aerial view of the construction site where the South Street Pedestrian Bridge extension will take place. A rendering of the archways in a nearby parking lot show where the bridge structure will be assembled and then later rolled into place where a red line marks its installation site. Construction begins in Spring 2026, with the bridge open to the public in 2027.
The bridge structure will be assembled for about two months in a parking lot near the installation site this spring. The new structure will then be rolled into place by mid-2026, according to PennDot. Additional work, including pouring the bridge deck, will take an additional year, with the span expected to open to pedestrians and cyclists in 2027.
Sitting 258 feet long and 100 feet from the ground to its highest arch, the footbridge will feature 14-foot-wide walkways with lit archways and handrail lighting. The entrance at Lombard Circle will have a spiraling ramp to allow for cyclists to stay on their bikes and to provide easier wheelchair and mobility access.
A rendering of the mass timber building planned for the Penn’s Landing park.
The pedestrian bridge is only a small part of PennDot’s $329 million project to build a cap over I-95 at Penn’s Landing, which will house a 12-acre Penn’s Landing Park with green spaces, playgrounds, and an amphitheater. Construction on the cap is nearly 30% complete as of this month.
Nearby, Old City is getting a revamp of Market Street, where the road will be shrunk and more pedestrian thoroughfares will be added, with the new Tamanend Square plaza at Second and Market Streets to serve as the centerpiece.
