Balloons steal show at NYC parade
NEW YORK — Revelers at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade gave thanks for the giant balloons that flew above the city streets Thursday after a blustery storm accompanied by high winds nearly grounded them for only the second time in the parade’s 87-year history.
“The balloons are the best part,” 11-year-old Matthew Ragbe said as he watched them leave their launch pads on 77th Street and turn the corner to face the crowds of paradegoers, many of whom waited hours to secure a good viewing spot.
Across the country, millions of Americans celebrated their blessings, gobbled up turkey and pumpkin pie and prepared to kick off the official start to the Christmas shopping season.
In New York City, tens of thousands of people lining the parade route were not disheartened by freezing temperatures or the drama over whether Spider-Man, Julius, Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants would make their scheduled appearances along with a dozen other puffed-up sky-bound creatures.
“We thought they’d find a way to pull it off,” said parade-goer John Mispagel, of San Jose, Calif. “It’s really fun seeing so many people having such a great time.”
Dozens of balloon handlers kept a tight grip on their inflated characters, keeping them close to the ground to fight winds that reached the mid-20 mph range.
Elsewhere ...
In Washington, President Barack Obama and family celebrated a quiet holiday at the White House. The menu was quintessential Thanksgiving, including turkey, honey-baked ham, cornbread stuffing, greens and six choices of pie.
In New York City, volunteers from Citymealson-Wheels escorted dozens of elderly residents from neighborhoods affected by Superstorm Sandy to a Manhattan restaurant feast. The organization funded almost 20,500 Thanksgiving meals, including 13,000 delivered in advance.
Wednesday, two American astronauts on board the International Space Station, Mike Hopkins and Rick Mastracchio, released a video from 260 miles above Earth showing off their traditional Thanksgiving meal: irradiated smoked turkey, thermostabilized yams, cornbread dressing, potatoes, freeze-dried asparagus, baked beans, bread, cobbler and dehydrated green bean casserole.