Detour
Hit Parades
Never heard of mummers,
wench brigades or Emperor
Huangdi? Mark your
calendar—and your map—
and watch the fun go by
BY DEBORAH BALDWIN
AND IRWIN ARIEFF
Since when does Macy’s get to have
all the fun? For centuries, people have
enjoyed dressing up in weird costumes
and marching down the street, preferably
accompanied by honking brass horns.
Then somehow—blame Natalie Wood,
Miracle on 34th Street and network television—a festive holiday event got inflated
like a giant Mickey Mouse balloon.
Forget those New York City super-floats and take a stroll down Main Street in
towns and cities up and down the Eastern
seaboard, where you’ll find a thriving, if
quirky, parade tradition with less helium
and more heart.
To help you prepare your route, we’ve
done some advance work, sifting through
