The parade will step off Friday at 11 a.m. from the corner of Main and Lyman streets.
11/25/11 Springfield- Republican Photo by Mark M.Murray-Annual Parade- of Big Balloons -The Cat in the Hat balloon makes its way down Main Street during fridays parade.
There may be a shortage of helium in the country, but, not to worry when it comes to Friday’s Tower Square Parade of Big Balloons.
“All of our giant floating orbs in the parade will be filled to the brim,” said Judith A. Matt, president of Spirit of Springfield, who acknowledged the helium shortage and the increasing cost to top off each larger-than-life balloon – all seven of them.
Back for another ride through the towering buildings of Springfield will be the Cat in the Hat, a longtime favorite balloon in the parade, honoring Springfield as the home of Dr. Seuss. The mischievous feline will be joined by several other inflatable friends, including Fred Flintstone, Pajanimal’s Apollo, Ray the Lion, all new, as well as an American Flag and two holiday ornaments.
“One of our newer creations for this year’s parade is Apollo, a darling little purple and lime green dog from the Pajanimals cartoon created by the Jim Henson Company,” said Toni McKay.
“Before showing off for parade-goers, Apollo will be taking a pre-parade snack of 5,500 cubic feet of helium to help him glide to new heights with his 34 handlers helping him along the parade route,” she added.
McKay’s company designs and builds parade balloons in New Castle, Penn., and flies them in parades around the United States and around the world.<
McKay said Ray the Lion, also new in Springfield this year, “will be coming proudly down the street, as any lion should.”
While most lions only grow to about 6- to 8-feet long, McKay’s creation checks in at some 50 feet long.
“Of course, for a patriotic city like Springfield, Judy never forgets to make sure we include the American Flag balloon each year in the line of march. And, to add a holiday touch, we always have our snowflakes, two of them this year,” said McKay.
Some 900 cubic feet of lighter than air helium keep the winter snowflakes – actually sky blue stars with white snowflakes painted on them for a wintry touch - flying high in the sky.
The parade will step off at 11 a.m. from the corner of Main and Lyman Streets and float along Main Street from Lyman Street to Locust Street.
Leading the procession will be this year’s parade marshal Col. Robert Brooks, wing commander for the 104th Fighter Group at Barnes Air National Guard Base.
Brooks, who will be accompanied by his wife Aprile and their children, will be riding in a vintage military jeep.
Heralding the arrival of each balloon will be musical, marching and motorized contingents to help usher in the holiday season. Among the bands marching in step will be the Springfield Kiltie Band, Holyoke High School Marching Band and East Windsor High School Marching Band.
And, it wouldn’t be a post-Thanksgiving parade without an appearance by Santa Claus, who will arrive in style at the end of the parade high atop Springfield Fire Department’s Ladder #1.
This year’s parade is sponsored by Tower Square with additional support from MGM Springfield, Chicopee Savings Bank, PeoplesBank, ABC40/FOX6, Massachusetts Army National Guard and the Springfield Police Department and Department of Public Works.
Following the parade, the festivities will move indoors at Tower Square for their annual Holiday Open House from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Activities include a presentation of “Arabian Nights” by the Tanglewood Marionettes, as well as photographs with Santa, performances by magicians, a unicyclist and more.