Snow was falling on the morning of last year's Ambler Holiday Parade. By the afternoon, the sidewalks along Butler Avenue were packed. WissNow reported that about 800 participants marched that Saturday, with floats lined up between Bethlehem Pike and Susquehanna Road. Ambler Main Street Manager Elizabeth Wahl Kunzier told the outlet the snow "got you in the mood" and called it "probably one of our biggest parades."
The 2026 parade is set for Saturday, December 5. The same day, the Ambler Theater is showing The Muppet Christmas Carol as a $5 family matinee. The theater's holiday matinees also land on Small Business Saturday, November 28, and on the Saturday of the Holiday Shopping Weekend, December 12. Both happen on Butler Avenue, and the season moves along the street from the marquee at 108 E. Butler to the SEPTA platform at 35 W. Butler.
The season, weekend by weekend
| Date | Ambler Theater $5 family matinee | Ambler Main Street calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov. 27 | Elf, 10 a.m. | Black Friday |
| Sat, Nov. 28 | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 10 a.m. | Small Business Saturday |
| Sun, Nov. 29 | Elf, 10 a.m. | Thanksgiving weekend continues |
| Sat, Dec. 5 | The Muppet Christmas Carol | Ambler Holiday Parade, 1 p.m. |
| Fri, Dec. 11 | No family matinee | Santa Arrives by Train; Holiday Shopping Weekend begins |
| Sat, Dec. 12 | The Polar Express | Holiday Shopping Weekend |
On the Ambler Theater's ticketing pages, family matinee tickets cost $5 for general admission and nothing for members. The theater describes itself as a nonprofit community arthouse theater. The Elf and Rudolph showings start at 10 a.m., ahead of the afternoon on Butler Avenue.
The week before Thanksgiving belongs to the library
The first date of the season is just off the avenue. The Wissahickon Valley Public Library's Ambler Branch, at 209 Race Street, holds its fall used book sale from Thursday, November 19, through Saturday, November 21. WissNow lists the schedule:
- Thursday, Nov. 19, 5 to 7:30 p.m.: special member preview sale
- Friday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: general sale
- Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: general sale, with a fill-a-bag sale at $8 for a personal bag from noon to 2 p.m., then $5 for a library bag from 2 to 4 p.m.
Proceeds support Ambler library programs, and the sale accepts cash, Venmo and PayPal. Saturday's prices drop as the afternoon goes on. The best selection is on Friday, and the lowest price per book comes in the last two hours on Saturday.
Thanksgiving weekend starts both calendars
The theater begins its holiday run on the day after Thanksgiving. Elf plays at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 27, and again at 10 a.m. on Sunday, November 29. Between those showings, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer plays on Saturday, November 28. That's the day Ambler Main Street has marked as Small Business Saturday, asking shoppers to "shop small at your favorite small Ambler businesses." The theater's page for Rudolph says the classic is moving "from your TV set to our BIG screen" this year.
The theater shifted its schedule this year. In 2025, its first holiday matinee was Elf on December 6, the parade weekend, according to Around Ambler. Starting the run over Thanksgiving gives Small Business Saturday a family film this year.
Shop owners have said that Saturday counts. After last year's Small Business Saturday, Wahl Kunzier told The Reporter that she saw "hustle and bustle everywhere." She added that she heard business owners did "comparable or better than last year."
December 5 is the day Butler Avenue closes
The Ambler Holiday Parade starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 5. Ambler Main Street promises bands, floats "and more" marching down Butler Avenue, along with Santa. That day's family matinee is The Muppet Christmas Carol, so a family can catch the film and the parade on the same trip downtown.
Last year's details, as reported by The Reporter and WissNow, show what the day looked like:
- The route ran along Butler Avenue from Bethlehem Pike to Main Street.
- Butler Avenue was closed from Susquehanna Road to Bethlehem Pike, with rolling closures on parts of Bethlehem Pike.
- The lineup had 46 floats and marching groups, including school marching bands, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, neighborhood groups, fire companies and area businesses.
- Longtime emcee Juan Varleta, a former B101 DJ, led the program. Andrew and Kelly Gaess, co-managers of the Ambler Farmers Market, served as marshals.
- The Wissahickon Boys and Girls Club won first prize for its float, the Ambler YMCA took second and Dance Time Dance Academy took third. The Wissahickon Girl Scouts received an honorable mention.
The parade has been a borough institution for at least 60 years, according to The Reporter. Before last year's parade, Wahl Kunzier described how many people return to it:
"I think it's just great because people sit and they go to their same spot every time. People that live along the parade route have parties. I just think it brings the community together."
In the same interview, she said thousands of people attend and "it's extremely crowded." She asked parents to keep children on the sidewalk, because many floats are pulled by large trucks and the drivers have little room. She also called it a tradition that grandparents now share with their grandchildren.
Parking helps on a matinee-and-parade day. Ambler Main Street lists free parking in all municipal lots and on the street every day from noon to 2 p.m. On December 5, that window covers the hour before the 1 p.m. start.
The next weekend begins at the train station
The center of the season moves west on Friday, December 11. That's when Ambler Main Street's calendar lists "Santa Arrives by Train," along with the start of the Holiday Shopping Weekend, which runs through December 14. Last year, according to The Reporter, Santa arrived at 7 p.m. on the south-side platform of SEPTA Regional Rail's Ambler Station, 35 W. Butler Ave.
The theater's schedule follows the same theme. The day after Santa arrives by train, the Saturday family matinee is The Polar Express. The Main Street events and the theater's film both fall on that weekend.
During last year's shopping weekend, WissNow reported that carolers and a barbershop quartet performed downtown for shoppers walking along Butler Avenue. Wahl Kunzier predicted it would be "darn festive." Speaking to The Reporter, she gave her reason for shopping in person: "You're actually handing someone that you can see any day of the year in their shop some money to keep them sustained."
The Grinch closes out the run
After the shopping weekend, the theater keeps its holiday program going for one more weekend. The Grinch, the version with Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the title character, plays at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 19, and Sunday, December 20. Ticket links for each showing are on the theater's individual film pages, and the Ambler Theater's hotline is 215-345-7855.
If this season's walks along Butler Avenue have you wondering about the streets near the parade route or the blocks around Ambler Station, Diane Reddington is happy to talk through the borough with you. Let's Connect.
