Opening of Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade, a holiday treat for children everywhere.
A diary-loving Wimpy Kid and the lovable fighter Kung Fu Panda joined the lineup of large massive balloons that are an annual part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The event drew thousands of people to the streets of New York City on a cold and overcast November holiday morning.
With millions of more people watching the parade from the warmth of their homes, musicians including Kanye West and Gladys Knight performed to the crowds. The parade also included the casts from the Broadway Musicals “Elf” and “American Idiot,” plus members of the Purdue University All American Marching Band and many other bands from across the country.
Another balloon new to the parade this year was of Virginia O’Hanlon, whose letter to a newspaper editors when she was 8-year-old resulted in the classic holiday editorial “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”
Characters returning the parade with balloon this year were the Pillsbury Doughboy, a Smurf and Spider-Man, whom New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is new fan. Bloomberg told CBS that the Snoopy balloon had long been his favorite, but after Spider-Man appeared as part of an event promoting city-job placement services, “Spidey is my new favorite.”
Other celebrities participating in the parade include Miranda Cosgrove, Kylie Minogue, India Arie and Keri Hilson.
The Macy’s parade began in 1924 when a group of employees marched from Harlem to Macy’s flagship department store on 34th Street. The parade a temporarily halted from 1942 to 1944 because helium and rubber were needs in Word Ward II, which meant this year’s parade was the 84th.