Thankgiving Day Parade

[hiss srq]

So this year I switched up my schedule for the girlfriend to go to the parade. Has anyone been? Do I need tickets to get a halfway decent view and if so how much does it cost. All advice on when to leave commence the commute to the city etc etc etc is appreciated. I looked around at the Macy's site and saw somthing refering to tickets. BTW if anyone else is intrested in going and meeting up shoot a message!

[T-Bird76]

No tickets required Ryan to stand on the street, its totally free, I do think they offer bleachers near Herald Square that tickets are sold to sit in but I'd just do street side. You'll need to get there early, very early. I went twice and it is a good time, take the LIRR as parking will cost you triple around there at that time.

[mirrodie]

go early as tom said. we went once, never again.

arrived in the city at 730 and proceeded to freeze until the parade came by.

If you can, find a nice coffee shop on the route that they take and plan to eat there the entire time hte parade goes by. at least you'll be warm and well fed.

[pgengler]

At least the weather this year looks better than last, with no rain in the forecast. Last year was pretty miserable, walking the whole route while being rained on, and I did notice that the crowds seemed thinner than on years with good weather.

(This I know since I've been in the parade the last few years, and will be in it again this year. Look for me walking in front of the large snowman!)

[T-Bird76]

At least the weather this year looks better than last, with no rain in the forecast. Last year was pretty miserable, walking the whole route while being rained on, and I did notice that the crowds seemed thinner than on years with good weather.

(This I know since I've been in the parade the last few years, and will be in it again this year. Look for me walking in front of the large snowman!)

Phil what do you do for the parade? That must be allot of fun to take part in it, how did you get involved?

[pgengler]

Phil what do you do for the parade? That must be allot of fun to take part in it, how did you get involved?

I help out the day before to get all the balloons inflated and ready for parade day, and then come the parade I get assigned some task, like driving one of the vehicles under one of the balloons. I first got involved through my college (Stevens Tech); they put out a call for volunteers for the parade to students each year, and after a couple of my friends did it one year I decided to give it a shot.

We meet up Wednesday morning at Stevens, have breakfast and get everything together, then head into the city where we start inflating the balloons.

Come parade day, we're usually assigned to drive the vehicles, or if not drive then to walk alongside and make sure the drivers don't run over the balloon handlers with the lines. This year, I'll probably be doing the same thing I did last year, which was to walk in front of Snowbo (a snowman hobo, but everyone along the parade route just calls him Frosty) and keep in contact with the people inside (since unlike a regular balloon, Snowbo is what's called a "balloonicle", a balloon/vehicle, which is basically a custom balloon that unfolds to cover a vehicle, which has two people inside driving).

[T-Bird76]

Phil that really is great! I'll be sure to keep my eye out for you. I always have the parade on TV on Thanksgiving, I don't sit and watch it, its sort of like a background thing that I glance at from time to time.

[Matt Molnar]

My office is a prime viewing spot, on Broadway, huge windows, near Columbus Circle. I'm selling VIP tix for $1,500 each. :borat:

[flyboy 28]

Phil what do you do for the parade? That must be allot of fun to take part in it, how did you get involved?

I help out the day before to get all the balloons inflated and ready for parade day

Man, you must get really lightheaded! :lol:

[hiss srq]

My office is a prime viewing spot, on Broadway, huge windows, near Columbus Circle. I'm selling VIP tix for $1,500 each. :borat:
Except for those that show up with a model airplane to offer than they are free right? ;)

[Matt Molnar]

True. Actually I'm not sure if I'm going to make it to the office for the parade. I'd like to because despite living here my whole life I've never been to one (mainly because almost every year I would be visiting family near Boston), but this year I had the bright idea of having Thanksgiving dinner at our new place, so I'm going to have a lot of work to do. :?

[pgengler]

I help out the day before to get all the balloons inflated and ready for parade day

Man, you must get really lightheaded! :lol:

That's the deflation (which I also help out in), but one of the things that's drilled into our heads during the training is to always keep your face away from the openings where helium's rushing out, because with that much helium, inhaling it could knock you out pretty quickly (and you'd fall back and hit your head, which isn't good for anyone).