Giant Yarn Balls and Turkey Calls: Houston’s Thanksgiving Parade

by Brandon Zech November 27, 2015

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Yesterday was my first time at Houston’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade. I really went to see the artist-made floats, but the whole parade sucked me in. Here’s some of what I saw.

 

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I knew Patrick Renner and Alex Larsen made a float for the parade before, but I didn’t know they made one this year as well. Pleasant surprise. This piece, a collaboration between Renner and Larsen, was a giant Ben Franklin. He was poised at a table, ready to eat a turkey that was revolving around his head on a roller-coaster track.

 

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I don’t know if any one artist was responsible for this float, but I thought it was fantastic. I particularly enjoyed how the train engine encased the vehicle towing the float.

 

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I had heard about Bill Davenport’s ball of yarn, but I had to see it to believe it. It weighed a mere 600 pounds (not so heavy considering it was 12 feet tall), and was controlled by a giant herd of cats.

Other motifs from the parade included:

Horses:

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Costumes and uniforms and weird accessories:

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Each balloon handler was given a propeller beanie.

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This life-size stocking.

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Red, white and blue for miles.

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This questionable box of a man on a bicycle.

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A cockroach riding on the back of an old fire engine.

Musical instruments decked out for Christmas:

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All kinds of vehicles, of course:

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And finally: Santa Claus.

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1 comment

Iva November 30, 2015 - 22:28

Hiring artists to make floats for the parade is a good move. We get to see more interesting floats added to the city’s collection each year and decent funding for artists’ big projects!

2013 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfBQAjfoCn0 (Alex /Patrick + Dennis w/ food costumes)

2014 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_M9d0xIXu4 (Alex /Patrick + Dennis w/ food costumes)

2015 – https://www.facebook.com/ZaKinnaird/videos/vb.7961385/10106907403145600/?type=3&theater (Bill Davenport!)

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