THE annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a tradition that many consider to be the start of the holiday season.
While many people opt to watch the parade from the comfort of their couch, I’ve experienced the joy of marching down Fifth Avenue in New York as a clown.
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My first year in the Thanksgiving Day parade, I was part of the Funny Bones Medical Team of clowns, and then the next year, I was a Celebration Clown and helped Al Roker kick off the 2.5-mile march to Macy’s.
But clowning around is actually taken quite seriously by the people at Macy’s who run the parade.
There’s much more that goes on behind the scenes than you’d ever know from watching at home.
First, those participating as clowns receive proper training.
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Both times I marched in the parade, I attended Clown U, which was hosted at the time by the Big Apple Circus about two weeks before Thanksgiving.
Experts and clown team captains taught us how to engage with spectators along the parade route.
In my first year at Clown U, we even learned a dance to perform for fans during lulls.
Our captain of the Funny Bones Medical Team would signal for us to assemble and do the dance, bringing joy – and a good giggle – to spectators.
And while clowns don’t get a ton of TV time, they’re usually equipped with tons of confetti to sprinkle along Fifth Avenue.
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Second, the day of the parade begins long before the broadcast as call times are in the early hours of the morning.
Clowns would line up outside of a midtown hotel waiting to get into costume.
From there, we’d wait to get our clown makeup professionally done.
It all happens so quickly and efficiently, despite the very early hour of the morning.
Then, it was off to the buses and the starting point of the parade up near Central Park.
Lastly, when marching in person, the parade can change its pace at the drop of a hat – or balloon.
If there are any mishaps with the inflatables or floats, it can prompt a delay along the parade route.
But to stay on schedule, that often leaves the clowns having to run alongside their float or balloon to keep up.
On a bitterly cold parade day, running wasn’t so bad as it helped me stay warm.
But my first parade was nearly 70 degrees and none of us were prepared for that!
Marching in the Macy’s parade was so joyful in more ways than one – especially because I was with my dad and a bunch of my family members.
And while it may have been a completely different experience from watching at home, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
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