IN MEMORIAM: The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Not having sat through the annual 3-hour marathon in several years, I never thought I'd actually miss it; but oddly, I DO.

It was never a holiday tradition to me but to countess families both here and abroad it was something they all looked forward to sharing every year before sitting down to give thanks for all their blessings. While some eagerly await the Radio City Rockettes or Santa Claus it's always been those big balloons that seem to draw the biggest crowds of viewers who patiently waited rain/shine, pleasantly temperate or weather cold enough to freeze your Giblets off.

That parade has been around since 1924 but back then there were no big balloons hulking over 34th Street. Back then they had live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. The balloons showed up in 1928 and they were all animals, too... but still no Mickey Mouse since he didn't arrive until 1934. Along with the clowns, the drill teams, the Broadway casts or more obscure groups like the Darktown Strutters or Harlem Globetrotters those balloons were always something to look forward to witnessing. And more than a few people showed up to see if one would get loose and fly away over Manhattan's skyline, or worse hit the ground... but, more about that, later! And, barring 1942-44 when rubber and Helium was needed for the WWII effort, those floating giants were always there.

And if you couldn't show up in person, you could always listen to it on the radio and starting in 1948 on regional network TV. Then in 1953 the parade finally went national in its live broadcasts and right along with a golden-roasted Turkey they've been a holiday staple ever since. Until now.

For some the Macy's parade was the event of a lifetime, especially those high school bands from all across the country who proudly marched down that wide street in brand new uniforms, bought with money they earned having endless fun nights, candy sales and car washes all year long. Big corporations looked forward to it too, as they sponsored elegant floats topped off by movie stars, sports heroes and lip-syncing recording artists all clinging to the top-heavy flatbeds as they lurched along the avenue.

And over the years there were accidents. If not from a float turning a corner a little too tightly, then possibly from above when a balloon was encouraged a little by the wind as hopeful sidewalk hustlers looked on and took bets on whether Superman would take a sudden nose dive for the pavement.

And in three separate years, they had to pay off: in 1993 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG snagged a lamppost and sent a cop and little kid to the ER. In 1997 it was more serious when THE CAT IN THE HAT put a woman in a coma for a month from a critical skull injury [the footage on YouTube is still frightening to watch] and then in 2005 -and despite new safety regs from the '97 incident- it happened still again when an M&M did the same thing but thankfully only resulted in a few minor injuries.

But a far greater toll will be taken this year as massive revenue losses are touted up. Planning for each parade begins literally the minute the previous one finishes because it takes a full year [and sometimes more] of blood, sweat, tears and money -lots and LOTS of money- to pull it off.

For decades many businesses have centered themselves entirely around that parade as they craft supplies, build props and stitch costumes in their biggest sales of the year. But this time around -and thanks to a snarky, Grinch-like Mayor Bloomberg- those shops and sewing machines have been silenced. Pity too the Helium vendors who filled those giant Goodyear figures with floating gas because like the others, they too may not survive. Along with souvenir shops, restaurants and even Sabrett's Hotdog carts that would've lined the route that will be bankrupted.

The estimated cost of staging the annual parade is $11.6-13.4 MILLION with floats running from $780,00-2.6 million themselves. That's a LOT of tissue paper, glitter and fiber glass!

But that's not the total cost, not by a long shot. Because there are families who for generation-to-generation have stood side-by-side on those sidewalks with toddlers perched on the shoulders of their Grandparents as they all eagerly waited to see SNOOPY come floating along... because he personified a season where peace on Earth and goodwill toward all men would better the entire world, if only for a few brief weeks.

And that's the greatest loss of all.

Last Edited by GSB/LTD on 11/26/2020 11:38 AM