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Everyone's a kid again when the Macy's Parade passes by Year's, and New Year's Eve is insane." Pickler is preparing to be in her first parade, So what if Christmas decorations popped up on as is Joan Jett, who's performing from her new store shelves before Halalbum, "Unvarnished." loween? The season ofJett, who lives in New ficially begins Thursday at York, was supposed to be 9 a.m. with the parade. on a float from South DaYes, this is one of kota because that state's the few things in life so secretary of state, a major famous that it can be Blackhearts fan, invited referred to that generher. But her committed ally. Specifically, it is the stance against eating Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. meat infuriated South Dakota ranchers, so she was 28. being moved to another For those keeping float, which was not yet track, this is the 87th known at this writing. parade (it began in 1924 Though the parade usubut was suspended 1942ally features country, pop 44 during World War II). and Broadway, Jett was For three hours on NBC pleased to bring a punkier Thursday morning, it's a sound to the party. fair bet most people are "When we play around watching "Today" regulars the country, in all sorts Al Roker, Matt Lauer and of places, I am always Savannah Guthrie chat pretty astounded by the about the lineup that invariety of audience we cludes the cast of "Duck Dynasty," Cirque du Soleil attract playing our kind of and Florida Georgia Line. rock and roll," Jett says. "All ages, all stripes of Jimmy Fallon and the political persuasion. Music Roots jam with the cast transcends a lot of those of "Sesame Street." The barriers, which is what I Rockettes will high-kick in think music is supposed to front of the landmark 34th do. It is supposed to bring Street store, and casts them together rather than from Broadway's "Motown: pull them apart." The Musical," "Matilda" That's precisely what and "The Sound of Music this parade does. While Live!" are scheduled to so many parades that perform. wend through Manhattan To mark the 75th ancelebrate specific cultures, niversary of "The Wizard the Thanksgiving parade of Oz," a 47-foot-high hot- embraces all. Plus, it just air balloon emblazoned makes people happy. with the film's characters Witness John Piper, vice debuts. Look closely in the president of Macy's Paballoon's basket - a young rade Studio. woman is trying to get "How could you not be back to Kansas. excited?" he asks. Some 50 million are exInterviews with Piper pected to watch at home over the years reveal a while an anticipated 3.5 man genuinely thrilled by million will line the parade the mechanics of balloons route. and floats and making it "That's what everybody all magical. Balloons are does that day," says Kellie inflated the day before, Pickler, who will perform and that process has her new single, "Little Bit become such an attracGypsy." tion, the work is spread "Every kid that watches throughout the day and the parade thinks that it evening so it's not too would be fun to be there crowded near the Ameriand see the parade in per- can Museum of Natural son," Pickler says. "Some- History, where deflated times the best seats are balloons are trucked in the ones at home on your from the parade's New couch. I am sure it will be Jersey studio. crowded like it is at New And a bit of parade Year's. I was there to help humor: What's the differwith Dick Clark's New ence between inflating By Jacqueline Cutler © Zap2it 2 Joan Jett performs in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday on NBC. and blowing up a balloon? "About one second," Piper says. Among the new attractions this year is a giant spinning dreidel. The eight-night festival of Hanukkah begins Wednesday. There's also a new Snoopy balloon. He's flying with his buddy Woodstock. And there's a new SpongeBob SquarePants balloon, topped with an enormous red Santa hat that has a 6-foot-wide bell. The Goshen News • Spotlight TV • November 25-December 1, 2013 Toothless from "How to Train Your Dragon" joins the parade and is a rather majestic 72 feet long. His wings are folded in, otherwise they would spread over Central Park, Piper says. "He will be peeking in quite a few windows," Piper says. "For those who have not seen 'How to Train Your Dragon,' we may have a few people surprised. He is a night fury dragon. He is a wonderful, very, very dark blu- ish-black color with scales and fluorescent green eyes." As always, the parade's numbers are impressive. This year features 15 giant character balloons; 37 smaller, but still large, novelty balloons; 30 floats; 1,600 cheerleaders and dancers; 900 clowns; and 11 marching bands. "There is a never a year when there doesn't come a time and I am in the golf cart, and I may be on my way to check on a float, and (handlers of) one of the balloons does their cheer, or someone on a float waves to the crowd, or Texas or Ohio or Michigan or Wyoming breaks into a fight song, and everybody on the parade route turns into a kid," Piper says. "And they just exude so much happiness, and it just flows, and if you are there, you are just caught up in it that moment. That is what it is all about."

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