Dann Cuellar's Thanksgiving Parade Preview

PHILADELPHIA - November 21, 2012

Hold onto your seats because you're about to take off.

At the Art Museum, parade volunteers, marchers, dancers, singers and other performers rehearsed all night for the big show.

Putting the finishing touches on their performance on Wednesday was the Boyertown Herald Trumpets and West Chester University Flag team.

How does it feel to be part of a parade?

"It's awesome, best feeling in the world. We love it," said one performer.

And it's not just any parade. It's the longest running Thanksgiving Day Parade in America.

"We have 27 full productions in the television show itself," said Todd Marcocci, parade producer.

You're talking 5,000 people just in those production numbers alone, which includes a tribute to the legendary Dick Clark

"Just a combination of music through the decades, dating back to his original show which started here in Philadelphia," said Marocci.

Then there's a tribute to Hollywood, including high school students from across the Delaware and Lehigh valleys.

There's also a tribute to Whitney Houston and to Rocky Balboa running up the Art Museum steps.

All of that is just a sample of what we're in store for on Thanksgiving morning.

It's 93 years later and the tradition live on in Philadelphia. All in all it's going to be a great show - one you don't want to miss.

And there's just one more thing from some of the performers in the big parade: Happy Thanksgiving!

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