Come Join the Parade by E.A. Kahane

''The parade is a wonderful holiday gift to the 3.5 million people who witness it firsthand, as well as the 30 million television viewers worldwide. I feel so lucky that I get to be 'inside' the parade each year, that my dream of living along the route came true.'' — E.A. KAHANE

For over 25 years, New Yorker E.A. KAHANE has photographed the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from her third-floor apartment window on Central Park West at 64th Street. From this special vantage point, Kahane is able to capture with her camera an unrestricted view of the parade as it passes by her window. Her bold and beautiful images document every aspect of the festivities, including the clowns, Broadway stars, floats, marching bands, cheerleaders, cheering spectators, and the biggest stars of them all - the larger-than-life balloons of our favorite characters from TV and film.

This fall, just in time for the holidays, Kahane’s joyous photographs will be published in book form in Come Join the Parade! (October 15, 2024). She describes the exquisitely designed book as her very own “Miracle on 64th Street” and a book for all ages.”


Starting on the Upper West Side at 77th and Central Park West, the legendary parade travels down to 6th Ave and 34th Street entertaining a televised and real time audience for the 2.5-mile journey. Come Join the Parade! is Kahane’s singular vision of this beloved annual event, and her passion and unbridled enthusiasm is revealed with every page turn.

In her essay for the book, Kahane gives insight into her process, sharing, “I never check the parade lineup in advance. I prefer to be surprised. Every year it feels like I’m experiencing the parade for the first time.”

Placed throughout the book are fun DID YOU KNOW? facts about the parade. One such fact is about Tony Sarg, a German immigrant, Macy’s employee, and master puppeteer, who helped design the first Macy’s parade. Sarg created the first feline balloon, Felix the Cat, which was produced by Goodyear Tire & Rubber, and collaborated with a young Walt Disney in 1934 to create the first Mickey Mouse balloon. Big balloons became an integral part of the parade in 1927 in partnership with Goodyear and have since become pop-culture icons.

In his essay in the book, Kahane’s son Harry captures the essence of the parade experience that his mother’s photographs evoke. “You can feel the excitement of those crisp November mornings in these images, the colorful characters and elaborate costumes reaching out from the pages of this book in an undeniably cheerful way. ... When Snoopy or Kermit went by, I remember how small I felt, how close they were. Maybe, if I was just a little bit bigger, I could reach out and actually touch them. Somehow, even though I was only a kid in a window, I was a part of the parade. I belonged inside the spectacle.”

Kahane’s husband sums up the effect of this collection of images in his essay, noting, “Elizabeth’s images in this book document the scale, the excitement, the rhythms, and the textures of the parade, and offer up her own special take on this unique Big Apple feast of sights and sounds. Strap in and prepare to be amazed!”


Special Bonus!

Come Join the Parade! includes a delightful short film that takes viewers behind-the-scenes at Kahane’s home on Central Park West and 64th Street where she has been documenting the Parade directly from “My Third-Floor Window” for 25 years. We witness Kahane’s love for the parade as she engages with New Yorkers, tourists, and the spectacular parade performers that pass by her window. To view the film, click on the QR Code on the back of the book. You can also access it here.

About the Photographer:
E.A. KAHANE, a fine art photographer, seeks to capture through her lens the collective joy and beauty of the life around her. This practice has led to the creation of a diverse body of work ranging from portraits to landscapes, from still-lifes to large public celebrations. In the last few years Kahane has moved beyond conventional photography to more complex installations which have allowed an exploratory space for her images. Kahane has begun incorporating light towers, photo-based wall paper, monumental photographic prints, and even furniture into her exhibitions.