Thanksgiving Parade Brings Out Kids of All Ages

There are some things so quintessentially New York that New Yorkers don't do. Tourists do them. Like visit the State of Liberty.

Or the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

Rosa Flores has lived for 43 years in New York and never made it there once. But this year she scored tickets from a friend who works at Macy’s so she decided to go — thought not for herself, of course.  

“I came for my son, Kean,” Flores said.

Kean is six-years-old with soft, brown curls and a missing front tooth. He and his mom were in a prime location with seats in the sunshine on the bleachers at West 77th Street and Central Park West.

“It’s like a dream,” said Flores.

But the day could have been a nightmare. A teacher and professor from Rego Park, Queens, Flores said she overslept. Fortunately, when she and her son hopped in her car, she found traffic surprisingly light. She parked on the Upper East Side and they splurged on pedi-cab ride across Central Park (another first for both of them).  

Her husband, Kean’s dad, wasn’t with them because he was one of the thousands of New York City Police officers on duty Thursday. Flores said he was nervous about them being at the parade. But she wasn’t. She wanted Kean to have this experience.

But with every passing float, it became clear that this was an experience Flores wanted, too.

“Look at the costumes,” gasped Flores adding, “I want to be part of the marching band, are you kidding me?”