Thanksgiving Day Parade

A few seminal New York City events disclose to the world an aspect of New York that reflects its large-scale small-town character - including the NY marathon, the Village Halloween parade, the New Year's Ball Drop and the 85 year old (as of 2011) Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  The Parade brings performing organizations from across the country, and the world, to strut their stuff, and draws an audience from across the country to the streets of New York.  And that audience, for the most part, and for a brief time, recovers a tiny piece of its childhood through the gaudy, brassy, raucous, blatantly commercial but still electric event.  The following pictures share aspects of the show and the audience; the B&W images date back 40 years.  (Click a thumbnail image once to enlarge; click within the right or left side of the image to advance or go back - or use your right and left arrows.)