macy's thanksgiving day parade

thanks to a generous lodging offer i was able to attend this event, this shot is from the night before, the balloon inflation viewing, up around 81st street and central park west, by the american museum of natural history. the balloons are inflated, then covered with large nets held down by weights, in the am they are uncovered then topped off from tractor trailers of helium, right before parade start. just be aware that this is a mass crowd event, you enter at one end and cannot get out until you have shuffled forward inches a minute all the way around a 2 block square, so it's one of those events that maybe once is enough.

 

the afflac duck, new to the parade this year, and yes they really are that big, shown with apartment building background for scale


and a tied down kermit





and the 2 stars that lead off the parade

 

wow Gary I knew they were big but not that big. must be a lot of work involved in doing this and nice shots

 

These are great Gary! ; That must have been pretty cool to be that up close!

 

well it took me 58 years to finally get there, next year is up in the air, comes down to do i really want to get up and out, maybe into icy chill air, to stand around on a street curb for 3 hours before i even see a parade, which then lasts 3 hours, of course i may lug along a chair to sit in and a step ladder to shoot from


leading off with sunrise from the 37th floor of the new yorker hotel, clown headquarters for my friend jeff, when i decided tuesday that i might go in, knowing he has marched in the parade for the last 5 years as a clown, i called him and he invited me to bunk in his hotel room, he has to be there by 0630 and has gotten tired of taking a 3 am train



marchers lined up for the bus to the parade start





engine 54, truck 4, battalion 9, mural on the door, because 9/11 happened at fdny shift change time, and because firemen answer the alarm, it's what we do, this house lost almost 2 full platoons that day.

 

More good stuff Gary!

 

so over the next few days i might post a parade storyline, if it pleases the crowd, first up balloon, sonic the hedgehog, kind of confusing to me since before this the only hedgehog i knew of was ron jeremy



and of course you need some kind of turkey/pilgrim float





next up, some kind of mad diary character, not being tuned into childrens tv much, i'm at a loss for who some of these are, so correct me if i get them wrong





and what parade would be fun without a muppets float

 

That's Greg Hefley from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. ; Mindless humor for the 8-12 year old crowd, I suppose that's why I like them! ;


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Great shots Gary!!

 

thanks goofmick, and here's a mario looking guy



and buzz, heading to infinity and beyond





and here's the aflac duck again, scaled against the buildings, this is his first parade

 

the pillsbury doughboy





some celebrity, not sure who, i don't watch very much prime time tv





long dog





kool aid man





and spongebob

 

I love this set Gary! I'm excited to see them make their way to Universal Orlando this year.

 

I was watching part of the 85th Anniversary Special that aired later that night and was taken aback when that stated that early on they used to release the balloons skyward when the parade was over. ; Could you imagine sitting on your deck and having Snoopy land on your house. ; I can only assume that they were smaller non-character balloons.

 

the big cheese himself showed up




some other celebrity person





kung fu panda





julius the sock monkey





and lady on a giraffe leading the safari clowns, my friend jeff is somewhere in there, but unfortunately due to the press of people i wasn't able to get his photo

 

Gary, I have just loved these shots! ; It must have been a great time! ; I had not idea that the sock monkey thing had a name. ; Some of these balloons I did not see as I "watch" the parade while doing many other things and get called to the TV by my daughter.

 

THANKS ALL, trying to finish this out today


no idea who this is, probably just should have asked someone around me, as they seemed to think he needed strong cheering





old favorite snoopy, he's been in the parade a long time now





ronald showed up





almost forgot neil diamond