Downtown Aitkin will soon be clearing a path down its main streets to make way for its highly anticipated 24th Annual “World Famous Fish House Parade,” being presented by the Aitkin Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday, Nov. 28 at 1 p.m. CT.
Each year Aitkin-ites and others from around the tri-state area bundle up in warm winter clothing and come out in droves to watch the moving display of ice fishing houses that eventually make their way up to over 300 of the state’s 10,000 lakes.
This year the parade’s Grand Marshall is award-winning outdoorsman and television producer Ron Schara, founder of Ron Schara Productions. His show, MINNESOTA BOUND, airs on Minnesota KARE-TV 11, a Gannett property.
The “World Famous Fish House Parade” is held every Black Friday, as a way for Minnesotans to ring in the holiday season with a day of food, joyous fun and festivities.
The parade is open to anyone who would like to enter a float with an ice fishing theme.
There are many great activities in which to participate during the day, including taking advantage of sales throughout town at participating retail establishments, and dining out at some of Downtown Aitkin’s charming restaurants.
There will also be an arts and crafts show held at the old Brandl Motors Building, with some crafts also being featured at the historic Butler Building (301 Minnesota Avenue North) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show will feature specialty jams and jellies, mittens and scarves, and a full range of beautiful handmade crafts.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will also stop by between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to make a special visit.
The United Methodist Church will also host a Spaghetti Feed from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Starting at 3 p.m., The Landing will be serving a special Soup Dinner, featuring Prime Rib and Vegetable Soup, until it’s all gone.
The end of the parade will feature the “Super Discount Ball Drop,” when the last float will be shooting the multicolored ping pong balls into the crowd, giving attendees a chance to win different discounts at participating Aitkin businesses.
For more information on the “World Famous Fish House Parade,” visit the Aitkin Chamber of Commerce’s official website, www.aitkin.com, call (218) 927-2316, or email upnorth@aitkin.com.
SIDEBAR From 12 to 3 p.m., the Aitkin Butler Building will be hosting a special VIP Fish House reception, giving partygoers the opportunity to enjoy the parade and the day’s festivities from the warmth of its historic Opera House. Instead of having to save a spot on the curb, guests will get a premium bird’s eye view as the annual parade passes directly in front of the building on Minnesota Avenue.
There will be a complete hot and cold buffet, as well as a cash bar featuring an array of Minnesota craft beers, wines and a full range of liquor. There will also be live entertainment. Tickets are $35 per person, and $10 per child. To purchase tickets, go to www.tempotickets.com/fishhouse or call Sylvia Allen at (218) 678-2441. Attendance is limited to 100 people, so don’t miss out on reserving your spot now!
Details of the eagerly awaited Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York have been announced -- with a selection of city break offers and
flight deals coinciding with Thanksgiving and the build up to Christmas
in the Big Apple, perfect for enjoying the festive atmosphere and
indulging in some Christmas shopping.
Details of the eagerly awaited Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York have been announced on the parade's official website.
Now in its ninetieth year, the parade is expected to draw over 3
million people and will wind through some of New York’s most iconic
landmarks on Thursday November 27th. Each year the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade features a wide variety
of balloons and this year is no exception. There will be a festive
SpongeBob Squarepants, Papa Smurf, Spiderman and Hello Kitty balloons to
keep the kids entertained. Some of the balloons are up to four stories
in height and are as wide as five of New York’s famous yellow taxis.
There are also plenty of weird and wonderful floats that will be
cruising through Manhattan. There will be a Big Apple float designed as a
replica of the city itself, with a separate float representing Brooklyn
Bridge. The Smurfs will also have their own float as will The Build a
Bear Workshop, who will be bringing some international flavor to the
parade with a float featuring bears representing different countries
around the world.
It may be slightly early for Christmas but there will be a Santa
Sleigh to bring some early Christmas cheer to proceedings, ideal to take advantage of Manhattan’s
unrivalled selection on shops. Delta Airlines will be contributing its
own winter wonderland to the parade featuring on-float ice skaters.
In addition to the millions lining the streets of New York, an
estimated 50 million people will watch on television. The parade will be
shown live on NBC plus various other television networks globally. The three hour parade will follow its traditional route, winding its
way along a two mile route through central New York, beginning at 77th
Street and Central Park West, then moving down to Columbus Circle. After
wowing the crowds in Central Park South and traversing 6th Avenue and
34th Street, the parade finishes in front of Macy's Herald Square around
midday – perfect for anyone enjoying some Christmas shopping in The Big
Apple.
The GoldieBlox company is known for their games and toys that are meant to "inspire
the next generation of female engineers," but this Thanksgiving the
world will see their name not on store shelves, but on television as one
of the newest additions to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The company announced recently that they will be making an "elaborate,
creative and brightly colored machine" for their float in the parade.
The float will have various moving parts just like their builder kits,
and each part will be powered by kids turning wheels and peddling bikes.
"Our dream at GoldieBlox is to inspire every girl to reach her full
potential, and we definitely like to dream big," read the press release.
"The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an iconic celebration and we’re
thrilled to join the line-up this November with the first-ever float
that is specifically designed to showcase the principles of engineering.
Macy’s Parade floats are the ultimate engineering spectacle, and
relatable to kids everywhere."
Forbes points out
that earlier this year, the toy company made history when they won a
30-second commercial slot during the Superbowl, beating out 15,000 other
companies. That spot must have helped a lot, because they are
apparently paying for the float themselves, with the price tag typically
falling between $30,000 and $100,000.
