Ever Been To One?

[cabinetman]

I'll bet the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is some spectacle. I've been to the Orange Bowl Parade, and the not so famous Dania Tomato Day Festival Parade. Bet you never heard of that one.

So what parades if any have you attended?
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[Lonnie in Orlando]

CM -

Thanks for bringing up the subject.

Jo Ann and I went to the Macy's Thanksgiving parade November after 9-11. We still talk about it ... not only for the parade, but for the whole atmosphere in the City. As we flew into LaGuardia, we could see smoke from the Twin Towers site.

Instead of dozens of news helicopters and banner planes flying over the parade, there was only one police helicopter in the air. Armed police / military were on buildings overlooking the crowd. (a real dose of reality)

Rudy Giuliani was the Grand Marshal. The cheers and admiration from the crowd when he passed made you proud to be an American. It was heart warming to see families and visitors interacting in a civilized manner, enjoying the parade as a detraction from the recent events. It is a great parade. We stayed at an old classic hotel near Times Square, the Algonquin, so it was a short walk to the parade route.

Then there was the visit to the Towers that were still smoldering. Walking past NYCFD stations brought a tear to my eye. Except for the sound of the demolition equipment, the crowd at the site was reverend like in church. My wife's cousin works for NBC in NYC. She and I stayed up all night afterwards looking at local newspaper clippings and items that she had picked up on 9-11.

On a lighter note, front row center balcony seats for the Rockettes, a couple of plays, and obligatory Christmas shopping completed a wonderful trip.

Thanks for letting me babble about our experiences at the parade. The memory will never dull.

- Lonnie

[Uncle Cracker]

I've been to the Parade of Homes... It wasn't what I thought it would be. I grabbed a choice spot at the curb, but not a single home came by.

[herb fellows]

This is not my story, but a friends; it's just too good to pass up this opportunity.
When he was a young lad, his father told him they were going to the Easter parade in NYC. He was so excited, he couldn't contain himself! he imagined huge Easter Bunny baloons, clowns, animals, the works!
Imagine his disappointment when it turned out that the 'parade' consisted of 'ordinary' people strolling up Fifth avenue in their finery.

[Mr__Bill]

Back in the late 80's and early 90's we took the kids several times. Standing in Times Square watching the parade with a kid on your shoulders is nothing like watching it on TV. The last time it was so cold out that they had a hard time inflating some of the balloons. That kind of dampened our enthusiasm for the parade but the kids still talk of it this time of the year.


Bill

[Richard in Smithville]

Does the Smithville Santa Claus Parade count?

I remember the Veterans Parade at the Canadian National Exibition when I was young and also going a number of times to the Niagara Grape and Wine Parade.

[billwmeyer]

Never made it to a big parade, but had a chance in High School to march in the Orange Bowl parade. For some reason, our band director turned them down. I think he thought we were going to get a Rose Parade invitation or something, so we stayed home. I don't know if I wanted to march that far in a parade anyway. I played the tuba.

Bill