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American Morning
Macy's Parade
Aired November 27, 2003 - 07:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Here in New York City this morning, more than two million people are expected to attend this morning's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
For a taste of the action, we go to our Maria Hinojosa. We're looking at a live picture there. As you can see, people are lining up. She is standing by near the starting point of the parade on Central Park West.
Good morning -- Maria.
MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Heidi.
Everybody is just so happy, because it's a beautiful day. It's not freezing. And, you know, every year that I do this, it's not like I look forward to waking up at 4:30 in the morning. But you've got to remember that for some kids, the anticipation is almost as if Santa Claus was coming. There have been kids waking up 3:00, 4:00 in the morning just getting in line. As you can see, they are already lined up along Central Park West here, people just all excited. Some of them prepared with -- oh, there they are already waving at us over there.
There are a lot of people who have come prepared with food, with blankets, with all kinds of stuff to brave the weather. But so far it looks like it's going to be cooperating.
Now, even though today is the parade, really, for a lot of people the initiation of the holiday season begins last night, which is when they were blowing up the balloons at exactly the point where the parade starts on 77th and Central Park West, right next to the Museum of Natural History, and that's where people gathered. They watched these balloons getting blown up, and then they have these house parties.
So, it really begins to feel like the New York holiday season begins when you see all these tourists coming into town.
Now, one of the things that's wonderful about today's parade are 42 balloons, and several of them are new, including -- including my favorite, Super Grover -- I just love, love, love Super Grover -- and several vintage balloons from the 30s, 40s and 50s, including the Marx Brothers.
And something interesting that's going to happen in this parade -- the 77th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade -- well, a little bit of a twist. Harvey Fierstein (ph), who is a star of "Hairspray," an openly gay actor, is going to be making his debut here in drag as Mrs. Santa Claus. The parade organizers have said that they don't want this to be any kind of political statement at all, but they are just saying that Harvey Fierstein wants to dress up in drag as Mrs. Santa Claus, that's his interpretation of it.
But right now, the anticipation is coming up in about two hours more, and the parade will start. Whoa! Lots of trucks are out here. The parade will start just up there at 77th Street, and it will last for several hours. And we're going to be here all day in this great weather. Everybody is thrilled. There is, like, such energy, Heidi, I can't tell you. People are just so happy. It's hard to put into words. But it rubs off, because I'm ecstatic myself -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Maria, I have to ask you really quickly. I think we saw a picture of Super Grover. But you said he's your favorite. What is Super Grover? Is he just huge? Or why do they call him Super Grover?
HINOJOSA: Super Grover is Grover from "Sesame Street." But it's when he becomes the Superman of the puppets, and he wears a little cape behind him and he flies through the skies, saving people. One of the things that Grover does -- obviously you don't watch a lot of "Sesame Street," my favorite television show -- is that he visits all over the world. He's does these international visits. He's kind of like a U.N. Muppet all in one. And he's going to be here tonight -- I mean, today, but huge, huge, huge, huge, huge, huge, so we'll get a chance to see him.
COLLINS: All right, very good. Maria Hinojosa, thanks so very much. We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired November 27, 2003 - 07:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Here in New York City this morning, more than two million people are expected to attend this morning's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
For a taste of the action, we go to our Maria Hinojosa. We're looking at a live picture there. As you can see, people are lining up. She is standing by near the starting point of the parade on Central Park West.
Good morning -- Maria.
MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Heidi.
Everybody is just so happy, because it's a beautiful day. It's not freezing. And, you know, every year that I do this, it's not like I look forward to waking up at 4:30 in the morning. But you've got to remember that for some kids, the anticipation is almost as if Santa Claus was coming. There have been kids waking up 3:00, 4:00 in the morning just getting in line. As you can see, they are already lined up along Central Park West here, people just all excited. Some of them prepared with -- oh, there they are already waving at us over there.
There are a lot of people who have come prepared with food, with blankets, with all kinds of stuff to brave the weather. But so far it looks like it's going to be cooperating.
Now, even though today is the parade, really, for a lot of people the initiation of the holiday season begins last night, which is when they were blowing up the balloons at exactly the point where the parade starts on 77th and Central Park West, right next to the Museum of Natural History, and that's where people gathered. They watched these balloons getting blown up, and then they have these house parties.
So, it really begins to feel like the New York holiday season begins when you see all these tourists coming into town.
Now, one of the things that's wonderful about today's parade are 42 balloons, and several of them are new, including -- including my favorite, Super Grover -- I just love, love, love Super Grover -- and several vintage balloons from the 30s, 40s and 50s, including the Marx Brothers.
And something interesting that's going to happen in this parade -- the 77th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade -- well, a little bit of a twist. Harvey Fierstein (ph), who is a star of "Hairspray," an openly gay actor, is going to be making his debut here in drag as Mrs. Santa Claus. The parade organizers have said that they don't want this to be any kind of political statement at all, but they are just saying that Harvey Fierstein wants to dress up in drag as Mrs. Santa Claus, that's his interpretation of it.
But right now, the anticipation is coming up in about two hours more, and the parade will start. Whoa! Lots of trucks are out here. The parade will start just up there at 77th Street, and it will last for several hours. And we're going to be here all day in this great weather. Everybody is thrilled. There is, like, such energy, Heidi, I can't tell you. People are just so happy. It's hard to put into words. But it rubs off, because I'm ecstatic myself -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Maria, I have to ask you really quickly. I think we saw a picture of Super Grover. But you said he's your favorite. What is Super Grover? Is he just huge? Or why do they call him Super Grover?
HINOJOSA: Super Grover is Grover from "Sesame Street." But it's when he becomes the Superman of the puppets, and he wears a little cape behind him and he flies through the skies, saving people. One of the things that Grover does -- obviously you don't watch a lot of "Sesame Street," my favorite television show -- is that he visits all over the world. He's does these international visits. He's kind of like a U.N. Muppet all in one. And he's going to be here tonight -- I mean, today, but huge, huge, huge, huge, huge, huge, so we'll get a chance to see him.
COLLINS: All right, very good. Maria Hinojosa, thanks so very much. We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
