A Tale of Two Thanksgiving Parades
As Macy’s marks its 100th parade, two local balloon handlers share their experiences in New York and Chicago
It’s almost Thanksgiving. The all-American holiday that predates the formation of our nation itself. It’s a day of customs. We wake up to backyard football games and local turkey trots and end the day feasting at long tables with those we love.
But no tradition is more iconic than the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. From coast to coast, all eyes are on New York. This slice of Americana celebrates a century this year.
The Macy’s parade sets the holiday’s rhythm. It began as a celebration for the store’s employees, many of whom were first-generation European immigrants, as a way to assimilate in a new place.
Balloons are inflated the day before the parade and secured overnight
While many of us are still in pajamas when it starts, the massive cast of volunteers who bring the parade home to us have been up all night.
A few years ago, two west-suburban pals, Beckie Saul and Robin Halicki, volunteered to be balloon handlers -those who move the featured characters along the Upper West Side’s parade route. The two were assigned to Bluey, the lovable cartoon dog from Australia, in his debut year. “It was an amazing experience,” Saul smiled as she relayed, “but a very long day!”
Macy’s parade volunteer gigs are not easy to get. To be considered, all parade volunteers must be sponsored by a current Macy’s employee. “Robin and I had walked balloons in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade a few times,” said Saul. “The Macy’s Parade had always been on my bucket list.” On a weekend trip to New York, she tried to make a buddy at Macy’s in the hopes of finding someone to help her cinch the opportunity.
An aesthetician whom Saul had met in the makeup department agreed to sponsor her but ended up leaving Macy’s before parade applications were due. Unwilling to give up, Saul joined the parade’s Facebook page and requested a sponsor. “Someone on that page directed me to the balloon handlers’ page,” she relayed. “A balloon captain saw my message and offered to sponsor Robin and me. We couldn’t believe it!”
But that was just the first step. The pair still had to formally apply and wait for an answer. “We got their acceptance emails and were so excited!” said Saul.
Saul and Halicki have worked at both the Macy’s and Chicago parades.
Then came their unforgettable long-weekend trip to The Big Apple. Saul and Halicki flew to New York on Tuesday to get the lay of the land before the big day. They attended the Inflation Celebration on Wednesday night, at which parade balloons are inflated with helium delivered in semi-trucks. Once filled, they are placed under netting and anchored with sandbags until the next morning, for safekeeping.
A balloon handler’s day begins well before dawn. Volunteers are assigned staggered check-in times at a warehouse in Midtown Manhattan, from as early as 4.45 a.m., depending on where their balloon is in the lineup. Each balloon crew wears a matching costume.
From there, handlers board buses to the parade staging area outside the American Museum of Natural History. “I was seated next to Jeff Kinney, the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series,” said Halicki with a smile. “I was teaching third grade at the time, and I just kept thinking that I couldn’t wait to get back and tell my class!”
As the parade begins, assigned captains direct the 30-60 volunteers who move each balloon. Hand signals are used to communicate when to raise or lower the balloon in unison. An optional field training is held for volunteers each fall at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to get the hang of the signals. “We had already gone to ‘balloon school’ at The Museum of Science and Industry before the Chicago parade one year, so we didn’t need to come to the one out here,” said Halicki.
Each balloon is tethered to a car. Riding inside is a person wearing headphones to communicate wind velocity to other floats. Handlers carry a spool of rope shaped like a dog biscuit, which is attached to the balloon. Shifting their body weight and using their upper body strength influences the balloon’s direction.
There are definite differences between the Macy’s and Chicago parades. “In Chicago, you’re constantly dealing with wind, and having to raise and lower the balloons to protect them, whereas in New York, the buildings actually shield you from the wind,” said Saul. “Here, you’re always having to deal with stoplights and other obstacles. In New York, stoplights fold back for the parade.”
Forty-three blocks from the start of the route, Macy’s comes into view. The handler’s job winds down. But it’s not over until the balloon is completely deflated – a job accomplished by the entire crew sitting on it until it’s flat, before packing it into a giant canvas bag to be picked up and put back into storage until next Thanksgiving.
Volunteers are given a certificate of participation (along with a boxed to-go lunch). But seniority doesn’t secure a spot in next year’s parade. Experienced handlers are placed alongside newbies in the pool of candidates. While both Saul and Halicki would jump at the chance to return to their balloon-carrying posts, Saul hopes to include her grandchildren next time. Nobody ever knows what’s around the corner – especially 77th Street and Central Park West.
