Macy's Parade...
 

Is Thursday as you know.

The Ohio University Marching 110 will be the lead band this year. It will be fun to see if fellow Bobcat Matt Lauer "gushes" as he did in 2000 when the band was last in the parade. (I'm assuming Matt will be hosting)

The telecast(s) (NBC and CBS) also feature casts of Broadway Musicals performing songs from their shows -- and of course lot of other stars and entertainment.

It's a yearly tradition to watch at our house.

Your too?

I'm not really a huge fan of parades, but I will probably end up watching at least part of it. My parents love watching the parade, and I think my in-laws do as well.

I will be watching. My mom, sister, and brother-in-law will be there sitting in the Grand Stand. I should be too, but decided at the last minute not to go.

I wish I could have taken your place. I lived in the city most of the summer, and just can't justify this trip at this time.

Besides, I went to Ohio for Homecoming, and I only get one piece of candy per year.

I watch the Macy's parade every year!

I'll be on the Upper West Side of Manhattan bright & early to watch the parade!!

Re: Macy's Parade...
 

I watch it sometimes, but since you mention about O.U.'s marching band being the lead for this year's parade, I'll check it out.

It is usually on at the same time as America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit (used to be the Hudson's parade). I watch the local one more, but flip to Macy's during commercials too. I love parades :) I considered taking the kids this year, but now they are saying the weather is going to be nasty, so I changed my mind.

In my family alone, 12 of us have marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade -- either with their HS band, their hula halau, or with Drill Team Hawai`i. I danced my way down in 1993 in a grass skirt and thermal underwear!

For a long time it was the same Hawai`i high schools marching in the parade because we only have a few here that have a large marching bands. This year is the first year Hawai`i will have an All-Star Marching Band. 380 members, 41 public and private schools represented from 4 islands...they'll be the largest marching band there on Thursday!

This year we'll be cheering on #4 niece and #13 of our clan marching in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade -- Maegan was even featured in the newspaper this morning modeling their parade costume!

<--- was a majorette from the age of three!!

*sings* I love a parade! I have every intention of watching the parade, from beginning to end, no matter WHO'S in it!!

My nephew asked me what do we do on Turkey Day. I told him we eat turkey and watch parades and football on tv. He was soooo excited he went running to his dad to tell him the big news. Lol. Little kids are a riot.

It's a tradition with our family.

The All-State band bought some stuff from my company, and the guy who placed the order was telling me a little about the band. It sounds like a great opportunity for the kids from smaller schools (i.e. not Kamehameha). :)


ETA - I'm torn about watching the parade this year. I'm still mad at Macy's for destroying Marshall Field's.

Re: Macy's Parade...
 

Yes...I'm always the first one awake, so I turn it on and start making blueberry muffins. We leave it on all morning but people usually go about their normal things and will watch a few minutes at a time.

I wish I had your opportunity to spend a good amount of time there, not just a weekend. My husband is just not in love with NY the way I am though...

We had the choice to sit in the grand stand or help carry the Garfield balloon in the parade. Since none of us had ever been we chose to sit in the grandstand so we could see the whole thing.

LOL, did you speak to Mr. Riggle? He's one helluva guy! Every year it was either Pearl City, Roosevelt, or Kamehameha because they had the largest bands in the state. Glad to know that so many other kids can get the opportunity to go. My own alma mater's sending 17 girls!

Be sure to watch for them on Thursday! "Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say...on a bright...Hawaiian Christmas Day...."

No, it wasn't Riggle, although I have spoken to him before. It was one of the instructors...I think he actually lives in CA but is coming to Hawaii to help with the band.

DA, thanks for telling about the 110! I'll be taping it now!! I have a bunch of friends in the 110 so now I'll be checking it out! :)

You bet. Of course the networks generally use the band performances to lead into commercials, so they'll likely only show part of the song, but it'll be fun to see them anyway.

Brrr...I don't think I could ever withstand Autumn weather in NYC wearing this!

http://tinypic.com/fz54yw.jpg

Great Pic, OTW.

Here's the Ohio University Marching 110 in the 2000 parade:

http://www.ohiou.edu/marching110/mul...ages/macy1.jpg

Supposed to snow in the Northeast tomorrow. Anyone know if that includes NYC?

Hope not for the band and other participants sake.

The 110 does dance numbers and often ends up on the ground.

That could be a mess.

Checked WeatherChannel online:

Showers/Wind (70%)
High 46.

Hope the showers start later and there's not too much wind for the balloons.

Just out of curiousity, how did they get the name 110? It seems like a very arbitrary number.

An excellent question...

When the band "changed" in 1967 to the present uniforms and marching/dancing/rock and roll chart style, there were 100 members the first year. The next year, the number expanded to 110 and kept going up from there. They now march about 180 members.

Instead of changing the name every year, and because the student body was so strongly behind the band, and because of the new "athletic" marching style (there is actually a link to the band webpage under "athletics" on the Ohio U. home page), the name Marching 110 was defined to mean that each member is expected to give 110% at all times.

For more history on the band:

http://www.ohiou.edu/marching110/abo...y/history.html

http://65.45.13.201/02789/main.php?id%3d10108369

It is difficult to explain how popular this band is on campus.

Thanks for asking...

Thanksgiving Day - from weatherbug
Rain in the morning...tapering to a chance in the afternoon. Brisk with highs in the mid 40s...falling into the mid 30s in the afternoon. South winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph...becoming west and increasing to 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

doesn't sound too good for the balloons! :(

too cold to go see them being inflated tonite

Marching 110 done good.

OTW, yours was fun, too!

I can't believe that they only practiced for the first time (all 380 of them) last Sunday in Washington DC!

Both groups were awesome - I was especially impressed by the Marching 110!

Thanks. I think they're something special -- but you really have to see them in person to understand how they relate to an audience (especially the student body) and the crowd to them.

They're fun.

Jumping in on this a little late....


Macy's Day Parade is a tradition in my family. Every year we watch the parade (I love seeing the new musicals in the beginning! But I hate the lipsynching on the floats!) My mother has one rule that has been consistent through the years of my life......You are not allowed to mention Christmas until Santa arrives at Macy's at the end of the parade.

Unfortunately, the only thing I remember about this year's parade is those people getting attacked by that giant M&M balloon. :p

I watched part of it while I cooked with Mom.

I was in the opening number in 1992 and got a whole 10 seconds on TV. :) We then closed the first hour as well - with Carol Channing singing. She was a hoot!

It was raining and chilly that day, and my flapper costume wasn't too warm - but better than those poor girls in the hula outfits!!