Student Fun at Balloons Over Washington Parade

Never to be outdone by anyone or anything, Washington Primary School third graders hosted the annual Balloons Over Washington Parade in the run-up to Thanksgiving Day.

“They worked tirelessly to select, design and create their amazing balloons,” Principal Michelle Richards said. “Every students had a chance to enjoy the parade as the third graders marched through the hallways.”

The event is a takeoff of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which kicked off the holiday season last Thursday morning.

“For nearly 100 years, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been synonymous with the beginning of the holiday season, celebration and togetherness,” said Will Coss, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Our talented team of Macy’s Studios artisans and production specialists work year-round to deliver the nation’s most beloved holiday event, live on Thanksgiving morning. We are proud to hold this responsibility and look forward to sharing our unbelievable designs, larger-than-life character balloons and first-class entertainment, all sure to create lifelong memories for parade fans nationwide.”

Washington students put their own spin on the parade. “The Balloons Over Washington parade is inspired by the book ‘Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade’ by Melissa Sweet,” Dr. Richards said.

While Washington’s parade was just a bit smaller than the one in Manhattan, it was just as much fun for students.

The 97th Macy’s Parade lineup included 5,000 volunteers, 16 featured character balloons, 26 floats, 32 heritage and novelty balloons, more than 700 clowns, 12 marching bands and nine performance groups.