You Must Be Trippin'

Pump Up the Parade: Macy's Thanksgiving Day

November 23 2009 by Karla Henriquez

There are so many great traditions that surround the celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Of course, there's the gathering of family, and all the food we eat. There's also football and going to the movies. Let's not forget that since 1924, Americans have been gathering along the streets of Manhattan, braving the weather in the early morning, to see the floats and balloons that make up the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

A fun alternative or addition to this 85-year tradition is to go see the parade's main characters, the balloons, while they are being inflated. These famous individuals begin to come to life at 4 PM on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving right next to the Museum of Natural History on 77th and 81st Streets.

Last year, as new parents, eager to introduce our daughter to the holiday season, my husband and I took our 9 month old to see this. We stopped in at a favorite Manhattan spot, the Shake Shack, for Manhattan's version of a roadside burger joint before getting in line with all the other eager balloon viewers. Our little one thought the crowd of children and their parents was very exciting and although she didn't know who Pikachu or Ronald McDonald were, she did get a kick out of seeing the giant balloons. Overall, it was a great way to get into the spirit of the holiday season, the time of year when Manhattan transforms itself from a busy, productive city to a magical and enchanted one.

If you're thinking of attending the balloon inflation, here are a few tips: take public transportation if possible since parking near the museum fills up surprisingly early and quickly, dress appropriately for the weather, be prepared for a large crowd, and make friends with those around you. It makes the whole event more enjoyable and will get you started on another holiday tradition - that of connecting with strangers through shared smiles and looks while you experience one of the events that make up the common fabric of our lives.

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