A warmer than usual morning brought out nearly 2 million people to witness one of the biggest parades in the country. The 96th version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade was getting under way bright and early at 9am with plenty of kids to watch some of their favorite TV characters come to life in huge balloons. This is one of best parades the city offers and is always a huge draw for kids from 4 to 94. All the excitement started the night before when the big balloons were inflated on the West Side in Central Park where the parade route began. Dozens of large balloons the size of two or three school buses made their way down the parade route all the way down to Herald Square where the flagship Macy’s store is located. Along the way, revelers got to see some of the top marching bands in the country, a whole host of celebrities and singers including Gloria Estefan, Sean Paul, Jordan Sparks, Trombone Shorty to name a few. The parade also boasts of having the largest display of clowns in any parade in the country and possibly the world.
There wasn’t really a situation where one band was better than the other. They all played their hearts out and happy to be in the Big Apple and in of the most famous parades in the world. A notable band from Carmel, Indiana had a really good drumline. The Kentucky Bourbon County Marching Band had some really colorful costumes. One large band that has played in many football halftime shows and has gained considerable notoriety are the South Dakota State University Jacks Marching Band. They were having a great time getting the crowd worked up. The band that had the best uniforms was probably the Clovis North Educational Center Marching Band from Fresno, California. Coming from deep in the heart of Texas were the Vandegrift High School Marching Band from Austin. They were fun to watch.
The crowd screamed out the names of their favorite celebrities as they were driven around in the Thanksgiving themed floats. Some of the more than 800 clowns appeared in different costumes and greeted the crowd with lots of cheer and thanks. The typical hockey theme was replaced this year with a creative version of a soccer player in homage to the players participating in this years World Cup. The theme changed from Thanksgiving and turned to a more wintery mix with plenty of holiday themed floats. All this was in anticipation of the big guy to make his grand entrance. Kids and adults of all ages screamed out to Santa Claus to get his attention. He sat down in his reindeer drawn carriage and when the crowd got more worked up he stood up and spread his arms taking in all the love. And for those very few seconds, all that seemed bad in the world just went away. It was a magical NY moment that can only be witnessed and not explained. Yeah. You had to be there.
This year there was plenty to be thankful for. It was a big parade year with all the major parades getting back to its formal glory after the pause due to Covid19 safety measures were in place for almost 2 years. Parade attendance was down slightly for most of the parades but that was probably due to fewer marchers and shortened parades. Thanks to the parade organizers that keep the traditions going. Thanks to the marchers that come out rain or shine to bring happiness to anyone willing to watch. Thanks for the people that come out to watch some really great parades that only NYC can make into a top notch event. Thanks to the Police Dept. for keeping every one safe. Thanks to Mayor Adams for helping to promote these events as best he can. Thanks to you the reader for keeping this effort alive and well. See you next year.
NYC Parade Life 