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U.S. NEWS Friday 29 November 2019
After wind scare, balloons fly in Macy's Thanksgiving parade

By SABRINA CASERTA ma's "Love Flies Up to the seen from underneath,"
NEW YORK (AP) — The be- Sky," and two star-shaped said the resident of New-
loved balloons flew, but balloons ultimately didn't town, Connecticut, who
lower than usual, in a windy make the lineup because comes to the parade every
Macy's Thanksgiving Day of tears and stress from in- other year with her daugh-
Parade after an anxious flation before the parade, ter, Megan, 8.
weather watch. Macy's said. A giant Ron- Joanna Mammen and her
Wind had threatened to ald McDonald balloon also family came from Bradford
ground the giant inflated tore before the parade County in northern Pennsyl-
characters. But officials an- and was pulled out mid- vania to revisit the parade
nounced less than an hour way through, the company she attended every year
before Thursday's start time said. The McDonald's char- while growing up in the
that the balloons could fly, acter had a visibly deflated Bronx.
if in a down-to-Earth way. leg. "My favorite float, as a
As the parade continued Macy's spokesman Orlan- kid, was Santa Claus," said
— even while city emer- do Veras called the parade Mammen, 69. "Most of
gency officials sent out a "a fantastic event despite the other floats from that Participates make their way down New York's Central Park West
during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, Nov. 28,
public alert about wind these minor challenges." time, the kids these days 2019, in New York.
gusts — handlers struggled During the middle of the wouldn't even recognize. Associated Press
with some giant balloons parade, the wind was 13 But it's a beautiful tradition,
and pulled them close to mph (21 kph) with gusts to come out and experi- Parade in New York City," be grounded in high winds
the ground. Meanwhile, up to 32 mph (51 kph), ac- ence the crowd." the 23-year-old said. "You came after a "Cat in the
winds did keep giant bal- cording to the National It was a first-time experi- grow up seeing glimpses on Hat" balloon blew into a
loons out of Philadelphia's Weather Service. ence for her husband, TV, but it's something I knew lamppost near Central Park
Thanksgiving Day parade. City rules require balloons Bill. And for him, it was all I needed to experience." in 1997, critically injuring a
The Macy's parade bal- to be grounded if sustained about sharing the fun with The parade, one of the woman.
loons might have been winds exceed 23 mph (37 the couple's son, Jason, city's most popular events, In 2005, an M&M's balloon
lowered, but Susan Ko- kph) and gusts exceed 34 and 2-year-old grandson, features about 8,000 smacked into a lamppost
teen's spirits weren't. She mph (55 kph). The balloons Lincoln. marchers, two dozen floats, in Times Square, causing
has traveled from Florida, have been grounded only "Thanksgiving is not just entertainers and march- cuts and bruises to a wom-
three years in a row, to see once for weather-related about the people I love. It is ing bands, ending with an an in a wheelchair and her
the parade. reasons, in 1971. the people I love," he said. appearance from Santa 11-year-old sister.
"We love it. Because it's ex- On Thursday, in a windy Willie Brown traveled from Claus. In 2017, a gust on an oth-
citing, it's patriotic, and it spot near the start of the Dallas to see the parade, The character balloons can erwise calm day sent a
just — it warms your heart," 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) route, particularly entertainers Ci- go as high as 55 feet (16 smaller balloon into a tree
she said. a Nutcracker balloon ara and Kelly Rowland. meters) off the ground and branch. That one popped
Spectators lined up a half- knocked into a handler, "This was really a bucket list as low as 10 feet (3 meters). and fell harmlessly onto the
dozen deep along the who fell down but then item for me, Macy's Day The rules requiring them to crowd.q
route on a gusty fall day, continued along. A Grin-
with leaves and confetti ch balloon touched some
swirling in the wind. trees as it passed a corner,
A "Green Eggs and Ham" drawing an "ooh!" from the
balloon joined the lineup, crowd.
Smokey Bear returned for To parade-goer Kate
the first time since 1993, O'Connor, the wind was
and spectators got to see "scary, especially around
new versions of favorites the corners — they're like
Snoopy and SpongeBob wind tunnels."
SquarePants. It was still cool to see the
A smaller new balloon, balloons up close, "but
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusa- they're really meant to be