If you need another reason to watch the time-honored Macy’s Day Parade, look no further: One of Amarillo’s high schools will have a group taking part in the famous parade Thursday morning to celebrate Thanksgiving.
According to their post on Instagram, the Tascosa High School dance team left on Friday, Nov. 21 to travel to New York City.
“Sending our love and best wishes to our 24 Belles and their directors, Mrs. Debbie Plunk and Mrs. Brooke Adams, as they board a plane early tomorrow morning to NYC where they will represent Tascosa as well as Amarillo ISD in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!” the Tascosa High School Facebook page says.
For a second time, the Tascosa Belles will dance their way through The Big Apple as selected performers in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 27. Coverage will begin on NBC starting at 7:30 a.m. and will also be streamed online at DirecTV, Hulu, Live TV, Sling Blue and Peacock.
The process of getting into the parade is competitive and evaluates national recognition, past performances and community reputation, according to Amarillo Independent School District. More than 3 million people are expected to watch it in person, with an additional 50 million tuning in on their televisions, computers or smart devices. Look for the Belles with the Spirit of America group.
The annual march through Manhattan, which terminates at Macy’s Department Store, has delighted New Yorkers for a century and has become a part of the American tradition since it was first broadcast nationally on television in the 1950s in black and white. The parade started in 1924 to promote the new Seventh Avenue extension of the Herald Square location – and to overshadow the department store’s rival Gimbels.
The first parade had hallmarks of the modern parade including floats and Santa Claus, but was much longer – totaling six miles. One of the first major traditions was releasing the parade balloons into the air at the end and encouraging people to chase them. When an airplane met one of the balloons in the air in 1932, the tradition was dropped. The parade was canceled during WWII but brought back and renewed by television. By the 1970s, the parade had become a festival of commercialism and featured lip-singing vocalists, morning show hosts and product placements but has endured the years with its glitz and glamour.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Here’s how to see Amarillo THS Belles in Macy’s Thanksgiving parade
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
