Thanksgiving isn’t just fun and festive — it carries on an important historical tradition. It’s when we remember that fateful winter in 1621 when the colonists, under the rule of King George, nearly starved, but were then rescued by the native Americans, and how both cultures were attacked the next day by endless columns of floating balloon animals, causing one of the greatest routs in known military history, and beginning the 200-year reign of Arnold the Aardvark.
Wait. Something in there is slightly off.
Right! It was King James not King George. How stupid of me.
The Parade of Parades
OK, so I may have lied a little bit. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade actually started in 1924 as the Macy’s Christmas Parade, and used animals from the Central Park Zoo. The Parade was such a success that it was declared it would become an annual event. In 1927, the Parade introduced its first cartoon character — Felix the Cat — and today Macy’s has an entire studio devoted to the development and creation of these amazing floats!
Prime Real Estate
Now you could watch this event from your couch, but let’s face it: seeing a float 40 feet tall on the 2-4’ TV screen in your living room is just not the same as coming up to the ankle of a 40’ float in person. So go and see it up close!
The only question is where to stand…
If you don’t mind showing up early — say, at 6am — Central Park West (starting at 75th Street) is a great place to snag a spot. If you’re not into getting that particular worm, check out the Time Warner Center, where the Shops at Columbus Circle open at 9am. From here, you can catch a spectacular view from the 2nd and 3rd floors of the mall. Or, if you’d like to strike a happy medium, show up at Sixth Avenue at 7am to be there in time for when the floats pass by at 9:30.
Whether it’s Hello Kitty in her signature plane, Pikachu and his lightning tail, or Toothless of How to Train Your Dragon fame, the Macy’s Day Parade has wondrous balloons, floats, and entertainers to surprise and delight young and old alike. So make this Thanksgiving a memorable one by going in person to this historic parade! To make sure the holiday is truly memorable, head over on Seastreak; we have a vessel departing Highlands for East 35th St. at 7am and returning from the city at 1pm! No sleepy driving, no traffic hassles, just plush comfort on this occasion when we pay homage to our balloon overlords!
All praise Helium! Noblest of the gases!
Sea you Soon!
The Seastreak Family
Filed Under: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade