He is wearing a 65 foot leash. The Cat in the Hat 's bow tie is 16 feet wide, and his hat is 2 stories high. Sts., off Central Park West. But it's your best chance to see the balloons up close, unless you're carrying one. This is also the time the public starts showing up to the sidelines in force.
Every handler grabs a free line.
A crew removes the sandbags and nets holding the balloons down. Columbus Circle is the worst part of the parade, because of all the open, unshielded space. Balloons are deflated on 7th Ave. Past Parade Posses I marched in the parade in 1993 and 1994, each time as a balloon handler. I brought friends with me each year, and the pictures below show which balloons we carried.