The sky was bright and sunny as crowds gathered to watch a giant turkey float bob proudly down Fifth Avenue in New York City. Excited families lined the street, hoping to get the perfect view of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. For almost 100 years, this famous parade has brought huge balloons of our favorite characters drifting through the air and amazing everyone who comes to watch.
According to the History channel online, the department store named Macy’s hoped to get the attention of early Christmas shoppers, so it hosted a “Christmas Parade.” The first such parade was in 1924 and began with a turkey float. Some store employees dressed as clowns, knights, and cowboys. Animals from the nearby Centael Park Zoo were on parade, too. The animals included monkeys, camels, and bers. Bands marched the parade route.
“Bringing up the rear of the parade was a float bearing the guest of honor—Santa Claus—sitting in his reindeer-driven sleigh on top of a mountain of ice,” stated the website.
Joseph Martinez, the 6th Grade Social Studies teacher, has not seen the parade in person, but thinks that it would be a great experience. Martinez calls the televised event entertaining, but more importantly, he said it signals that the winter holiday is fast approaching.
Dylan Tortora, a sixth grader, agrees that the parade is fun to watch on TV.
“It would be a fun and unique experience seeing all the giant different balloon figures,” Tortora said of being at the parade in person.
Brooke Porco, a staff member, said her favorite part of the parade is when the Radio City Music Hall dancers called the Rockettes perform. She likes this because when she was younger, Porco said she used to dance and now she likes to watch others perform.
“It is amazing how in sync they are the whole time,” Porco said. “I watch it [the parade] with my immediate family while we cook.”
