[PHILADELPHIA, PA] June 30, 2026 — Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan, joined by state ambassadors representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, will participate in the Salute to Independence Parade on Friday, July 3, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
As part of the nation’s largest professionally produced Semiquincentennial parade, Miss America and the state ambassadors will travel through the birthplace of American democracy, with the first 500 feet of the parade route passing directly in front of Independence Hall. The 2.4-mile procession will wind through Philadelphia’s historic Old City, Center City, and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway as the nation commemorates America’s 250th anniversary.
The Salute to Independence Parade will be broadcast live on NBC10 Philadelphia from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Viewers nationwide and around the world can also stream the broadcast via Peacock, Roku, Samsung TV, Google TV, TCL, Prime Video, Amazon Fire TV, Fubo, LG Channels, Local Now, Flex, Pluto TV, Xumo, NBC10.com, the NBC10 Philadelphia app, and the NBC10 Philadelphia YouTube channel. C-SPAN will also carry the live broadcast nationally on cable television and rebroadcast the parade throughout the summer.
Presented by Welcome America, Inc. as part of the city’s 16-day Wawa Welcome America Festival, and produced by Under the Sun Productions, Inc. in partnership with the National Constitution Center and Historic Philadelphia, Inc., the parade will feature more than 250 dynamic elements representing all 50 states and U.S. territories, honoring the people, history, and traditions that define the nation.
The parade also marks the return of one of Miss America’s most beloved traditions: “Show Us Your Shoes.” Representing their states in convertibles, all Miss America state ambassadors will wear show-stopping evening gowns and display unforgettable, state-inspired footwear in celebration of the cherished parade tradition.
Originating in the 1970s, the tradition began when spectators noticed delegates wearing slippers—or, in some cases, no shoes at all—and called out, “Show us your shoes!” Delegates responded by lifting their feet to reveal creative, state-themed footwear, transforming a spontaneous moment into one of the organization’s most iconic and enduring traditions.
Parade costumes have long been part of Miss America’s history, dating back to the organization’s earliest years. In 1952, Marilyn Monroe became the first woman to serve as Grand Marshal of the Miss America Parade, and by the 1970s, delegates had begun pairing elaborate costumes with imaginative footwear, creating a uniquely American tradition that celebrates creativity, state pride, and joyful patriotism.
Tune in to the historic celebration live on NBC10 Philadelphia and streaming platforms nationwide and around the world.
America turns 250. Miss America celebrates 105.
Because a celebration this historic wouldn’t be complete without Miss America.
