Press

NEW YORK, NY, November 17, 2011 – The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) and Macy’s today announced a new exhibition, America’s Parade: Celebrating 85 Years of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®. Opening at CMOM’s Upper West Side location on Saturday, November 19 (and only blocks from the staging area and the Parade itself), America’s Parade uses historical photographs, posters, audio and video, and original art pieces to capture the holiday spirit of the Parade and provides a look into its rich history.

For many Americans, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® is a time honored tradition and a great way to kick-off this wonderful holiday. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade also serves for many Americans (especially children) as an introduction to the excitement of New York City, its canyon-like streets filled with giant, floating balloons of Snoopy, Kermit the Frog, Spiderman and Buzz Lightyear.

Visitors to the America’s Parade exhibit are greeted with sounds and sights of the event via a video monitor that plays a “newsreel” of its history. Highlights include a model of Tim Burton’s “B,” one of this year’s new balloons; 30 historical photos of the changing design and storylines of the Parade’s signature inflatable characters; original posters from year’s past; eight snow globes of parade scenes, two books of reproduced photos of floats and balloons; and five original maquette models from which the balloons are made, including Curious George, a skating Snoopy and Wild Thing from Where the Wild Things Are.

Additionally, six original works of art will be on display from the new book, Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade, written and illustrated by Melissa Sweet and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Paradeis a uniquely New York event, that has grown to become a national holiday tradition,” said Amy Kule, Executive Producer of the Parade. “This exhibit, celebrating 85 years of Macy’s Parade magic, will delight children of all ages as they learn some of the fun details behind the giant spectacle. ”

Also included in the exhibit are little-known tidbits of Parade trivia, such as:

• What balloon has been in the Parade more than any other character?
• Who was “Bobo the Hobo?”
• What famous artists have designed balloons for the parade?
• Who was the first female balloon character?

“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an American tradition that spans many generations and is an ideal way to share memories within the family,” said Andrew Ackerman, Executive Director of CMOM. “Because the parade is such a favorite of children, this exhibition is a great way to pique their interest in the past and to nurture a love of history.

The exhibit is scheduled to run through January 16, 2012.

For great ideas on how to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family, go to www.cmom.org and look for Raising Citizens under “programs,” or visit www.freedomsfeast.us/

About the Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Founded in 1973, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan is New York City’s leading cultural institution dedicated solely to kids and families. CMOM inspires children and their families to learn about themselves and a culturally diverse world through unique interactive exhibitions. CMOM presents a full range of activities, exhibits and special performances that stimulate children of all ages. Through multidimensional programs that reach deep into the community, the Museum serves New Yorkers from all backgrounds. For details on all of CMOM’s programs, please visit www.cmom.org or call 212-721-1234.

About Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
With more than 50 million viewers across the country and more than 3.5 million spectators that line up along the streets of New York City each year, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a national icon that has grown into a world-famous holiday event. For more than 80 years, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has marked the official start of the holiday season. Growing in size and scale, the Parade proudly marches down a more than 2-mile route in New York City with more than 8,000 participants in tow including Macy’s employees, their families, celebrities, athletes, clowns and dance groups spreading holiday cheer. The Parade also features America’s best marching bands, fabulous floats and Macy’s signature giant helium character balloons. For more information on the Macy’s Parade please visit www.macys.com/parade or call the Parade hotline at (212) 494-4495.