Holiday spirits soar at Park Avenue and Sanfordville balloon parades

Students at Park Avenue and Sanfordville Elementary Schools celebrated Thanksgiving this week with their annual balloon parades through their respective schools. The highly anticipated annual activity is based on a classroom read-along of the book Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade. In the book, author Melissa Sweet recounts the inspirational story of the puppeteer who invented the giant balloons that float through the sky during the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  

Watch both parades below this story!

After learning the story and some of the history behind the parade, first graders at Sanfordville and second graders at Park Avenue got to design and decorate their own balloons. At both elementary schools, the students then lined up in formation and then stepped off for a parade through the hallways, their creations aloft for everyone to enjoy. And by everyone, we mean everyone! Students and teachers in every classroom stepped out into the hall and lined the walls to applaud and cheer as the parades passed by. 

At Sanfordville, parade day also happened to be “pajama day,” which created a warm and cozy atmosphere, just like watching the Macy’s parade an the couch. At the end of the Park Avenue parade, marchers were met by a turkey mascot who greeted each of them with a high five!

The annual balloon parades set a warm holiday tone in the elementary schools, as students, teachers and administrators look forward to sharing the laughs and smiles they bring as we head into the Thanksgiving break.

Sanfordville Balloon Parade

Park Avenue Balloon Parade