Holiday Parades in New York

New Yorkers love parades. It is never too hot or too cold for a parade. They are many cultural and ethnic parades held annually in New York City. Two of the major New York holiday parades are the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Veterans Day Parade.

2008 marked the 82nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is by far New York City’s largest and well-known parade. In addition to filling New York’s streets with onlookers, the event is a worldwide attraction on television. The fun begins the afternoon before Thanksgiving. Watching the forty to sixty foot tall balloons become inflated is almost as much fun as watching the parade. The giant characters gradually come to life in front of your eyes. Construction of the balloons takes about a year and two to three thousand volunteers are trained to handle them.

The day of the parade, 2 to 3.5 million spectators arrive before seven o’clock to get a good vantage point on the parade route. The floats are no less spectacular than the balloons. They are built on the other side of the Lincoln Tunnel, flattened to go through the tunnel, then reassembled. A dozen or more of the best marching bands in the country are invited to play. Each year features music celebrities who ride on floats and perform. When you see Santa arrive on a float, the parade is over and cleanup begins.

Another popular New York holiday parade that has taken place since 1929 is the Veteran’s Day Parade. After some solemn moments for laying a wreath and a 21 gun salute to honor those who have died, a parade and celebration honors veterans and military personnel and their families. About 400,000 spectators attend this parade annually.