Old, new balloons delight crowds at Macy’s parade

NEW YORK – A high-kicking Kung Fu Panda and a diary-toting Wimpy Kid joined the giant-balloon lineup as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade unfolded Thursday, drawing tens of thousands of spectators to the annual extravaganza on a chilly, overcast morning.

Emily Rowlinson, a tourist from London, squealed and snapped pictures with her cell phone as the massive Smurf balloon floated by a packed sidewalk along the route.

“We don’t have anything like this in England,” she exclaimed. “We have parades. We don’t have any sort of huge, floating beasts. It’s very cool.”

The parade featured an eclectic lineup of entertainers including Kanye West, Gladys Knight and Colombian rocker Juanes. The Broadway casts of “American Idiot” and “Elf” performed, along with marching bands from across the United States.

Perched on her father’s shoulders, 16-month-old Stella Laracque wriggled and danced with excitement as SpongeBob SquarePants, Hello Kitty, Shrek and other beloved figures wafted past her.

“She doesn’t really know the characters, but she’s loving it,” said her father, Mike Laracque, of Manhattan.

Another new balloon was Virginia O’Hanlon, the 8-year-old girl whose letter to the editor elicited the response, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”

Santa Claus closed the parade as always. A cheer erupted as he passed by on his sleigh, shaking his enormous belly.

Other celebrities at the parade included India Arie, Jessica Simpson, Kylie Minogue, Keri Hilson, Arlo Guthrie and Miranda Cosgrove.

Standing on a stepladder her family had brought from Mamaroneck, a New York City suburb, 9-year-old Melissa Machado was thrilled to spot Victoria Justice, the star of Nickelodeon’s “Victorious.”

“She’s a famous person, and I always see her shows,” Melissa explained after the actress-singer passed by on the Build-A-Bear Workshop float.

The Macy’s parade started in 1924 when employees from the department store marched in costume from Harlem to Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street. The parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944 because rubber and helium were needed for World War II, making Thursday’s parade the 84th.

Workers had removed street lights and traffic lights to make way for the massive balloons and were standing by to replace the equipment.

“As soon as Santa Claus drives by, the poles go back up,” said Tom Carola, a worker with an electrical-contracting company hired by the city.

In Detroit, a morning drizzle and chilly temperatures weren’t enough to keep John and Matt Fisher from attending that city’s parade.

The father and son from Hamtramck, Mich., had their RV set up a day ahead of time and by Thursday morning had a prime spot for watching it – equipped with coffee, hot cocoa, soup and chili dogs.

“Got to see Santa,” said John Fisher, 53. “If we don’t see Santa, we’re not sure he’s gonna bring presents.”

Before the parade, thousands of runners took part in the annual Turkey Trot race. A similar race in Buffalo, N.Y., attracted more than 12,000 entrants, the most ever in the event’s 115-year-history, organizers said.