The Blog

My sister Stephanie and I have never failed to wake up in the morning, either in the same house or separately, and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV. Unless I’m experiencing amnesia, I can not remember one year that I have not watched it since I’ve been able to operate a TV remote on my own.

When I was asked to cover a California high school marching band in the parade, I accepted the assignment with glee (corny wording, I know). Not only was I going to get to see the parade this year, I was going to have press access to the parade route. Police didn’t stop me at road blocks, which made me feel superhuman for a few hours.

Me and Papa Smurf.

Buzz Lightyear

Keke Palmer

The Roots and ?uestlove.

Herald Square.

Things I noticed or learned about the parade:

- The floats look much bigger on TV and so do the city streets that the balloons go through.
- The balloons are really as big as they look on TV.
- The microphones that the “performing” celebrities hold are just props. They sing to a backing track. (I needed confirmation of that? LOL)
- High school and college marching bands work the hardest during the parade.

Hopefully, I’ll attend again in a couple of years simply as a spectator.