Snoopy,
SpongeBob SquarePants and Toothless the dragon got their time in the
sky Thursday after Macy's allowed balloons to fly in its annual
Thanksgiving Day Parade despite concerns over weather conditions, and
the procession took place in New York City without a hitch.
Those
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons — and 13 other giant balloons —
were threatened with grounding if sustained winds exceeded 23 mph and
gusts exceeded 34 mph.
But the New York Police Department decided
Thursday morning that the winds were calm enough for the 16 giant
character balloons to lift off.
"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."
Balloon handlers kept a tight grip on their inflated characters and held them fairly close to the ground in tree-lined areas.
Mispagel
and his wife, Susan, said Sonic the Hedgehog got caught on a tree while
rounding a corner near the start of the parade route; handlers used
cutters on a rope to free the balloon.
The cheering throngs were
bundled against a 30-degree chill, but the sun was shining. Some in the
crowd lifted small children onto their shoulders.
An excited
9-year-old Lily Thomolaris, of Pittsburgh, was excited to "see all the
balloons." But she especially thought a big turkey was really cool.
MORE: How Macy's Thanksgiving Parade comes together
Balloons have only been grounded once in the parade's 87-year history, when bad weather kept them from flying in 1971.
Weather
has caused parade organizers — and watchers — troubles in the past. In
1997, winds drove a Cat in the Hat balloon into a metal pole. The
ensuing damage left a woman in a coma for almost a month before she
recovered. In 2005, an M&M balloon knocked over a streetlight that
injured two sisters.
After the 1997 accident, Macy's worked
with New York City and "participated in a full review of the incident,"
says Macy's spokesman Orlando Veras. The new wind guidelines where put into place after that review.
Following
the 2005 incident, Macy's updated "its system of monitoring weather
patterns at different heights at key points on the route," says Veras.
In addition to weather issues, controversy swirled around two floats.
Animal
rights activists are upset that a SeaWorld float, which features two
27-foot orcas, is joining the parade. They claim SeaWorld doesn't treat
its whales well.
SeaWorld
says the accusations have "absolutely no basis" and that "the men and
women who care for these animals at SeaWorld are dedicated in every
respect to their health and well-being."
And ranchers were rankled
that singer Joan Jett was slated to perform on the South Dakota tourism
float, saying the vegetarian and animal-rights activist wasn't a good
representative for their beef-producing state.
Macy's said the parade does not engage in social commentary or political debate.
More than 50 million people were expected to see at least part of the parade on TV or live.
The parade featured 30 full-size floats, 11 marching bands, 900 clowns and 1,600 cheerleaders and dancers.
Contributing: Doyle Rice; The Associated Press
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