Editor’s note: For this story, one writer shares her first-hand account of what it’s like to be a balloon holder in the 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Monkey see, monkey do, I was part of the Macy’s monkey crew.

About 50 million or more people watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade each year, myself included. But when I turned 18, it turned into much more than a spectacle on the small screen. That year, I marched in the parade for the first time, and I’ve been doing it ever since. This year, I marched as a balloon handler for Julius the Sock Monkey.

As one of the most iconic events of the holiday season, the parade is packed with great performers, colorful floats and the famous giant helium balloons. Each year about 8,000 volunteers, all connected to Macy’s, are transformed into clowns, become “props” for some of the floats and handle the gentle giants that make their way down the 2-and-a-half-mile trek.

My aunt was the first in my family to get involved. A Macy’s employee sponsored her, since she is not one herself, and she and her friends were balloon handlers for Dora the Explorer five years ago. Now, I too am sponsored and able to participate in the parade.

This year, I awoke at my aunt’s apartment at 4:45 a.m. so we could make it to The New Yorker Hotel by 5:30 a.m. After coffee from 7-Eleven, and doling out advice to some first-time handlers, we were called inside a room of the hotel and directed to our costumes — the ever-flattering one-piece handler jumpsuit and a vest signifying which balloon we were assigned. We hopped on a 7:09 a.m. bus and headed to 77th Street.

Our balloon was Julius the Sock Monkey by Paul Frank. Dressed in beanies and gloves, our jumpsuits and vests matched the balloon, and we all looked as uniform as possible. Next, we checked in with our balloon crew: a team of about four pilots and one captain. The captain is the one who directs how high the balloon will fly and when we need to stop and start walking along the parade route. The pilots, meanwhile, help keep everyone in line. The balloon was also tethered down to roofless golf carts to help prevent it from flying away if the handlers let go.

Before liftoff, we were given doughnuts to keep our energy up. And to avoid cramps, we did group calisthenics, keeping our arms and legs loose. Then we came up with this year’s chants: “Monkey see, monkey do, we’re the Macy’s monkey crew!” and “Julius! The sock that rocks!

At around 8:30 a.m., and after a group photo, it was time to secure our spots on the balloon. My aunt, her friend and I grabbed three “bones” that were next to each other on the right side of the balloon. The pieces that hold the ropes are called bones, simply because that’s exactly what they look like.

The wind was much stronger than it had been in previous years I had marched. In fact, it was almost too windy to fly any balloons. As we first stepped off, a gust of wind made Julius blow more to the side than normal, requiring some of us to gently tug at our ropes to reign him in and avoid snagging him on a tree branch. As the march progressed, the wind died down, and so did the inherent risks.

The front half of the parade moves along pretty quickly, as there are fewer stops for performing acts ahead of the balloons. The crowd absolutely loved our balloon, evidenced by the cheers, and we all consequently had a blast carrying it on the route toward Herald Square.

My favorite part about being a balloon handler is watching people’s reactions and looking up to see some watching from windows and balconies, their heads poking out of giant buildings. The number of people that come out to see us march is amazing. My own family sets up the big truck that they watch from on 53rd Street, and I could see them waving as soon as they saw the balloon.

Before we knew it, we had passed Herald Square and turned down the next street, heading toward the area where we help deflate the balloon. While it seems like a tedious task at the end of a long walk, it’s a lot more fun than it sounds. To get all of the helium out of the balloon we had to actually lie on top of it and help roll it out.

As soon as the balloon was rolled up and put into its bin, we were free to head back to our hotel to change and warm up with some coffee and hot chocolate. After waking up at 4:45 a.m. and a tiring six hours later, it’s nice to finally relax. It may not be the traditional way thousands of people watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade every year, but to me, participating in one of the most widely known parades in the world, it’s all worth it.

Published on November 30, 2013 at 1:13 am

Contact Claudia: [email protected]