Elaine Raines has been the librarian at the Arizona Daily Star for almost 30 years. While she does not claim to be a historian, she does have access to a treasure trove of great historical information.
"Tales from the Morgue" is a way to share some of that information with readers.
If you have an idea for a tale from Tucson's past that you would like to share, please e-mail morguetales@ azstarnet.com.
A Giant King Tut brought the downtown parade to a halt
11/25/2008 06:00 PM Elaine Raines
King Tut was over 20 feet-tall. He was followed by a shorter, but stouter Sphinx. These two ‘giants’ were taking part in Tucson’s first Giant Balloon Parade on Dec. 5, 1964. All went well, except for those pesky 30 m. p. h. wind gusts. Wind and giant balloons always make for an interesting combination.
Star files A 20-foot peacock walked the streets of Tucson.
Forty giant balloons “marched” in this Christmastime parade through downtown Tucson streets. A crowd of approximately 40,000 people showed up to see a balloon lineup that included a 20-foot tall rubber peacock, a unicorn, a huge Christmas tree ornament, a Roman chariot race, a camel caravan and Cleopatra. There were also the customary bands and, of course, Santa Claus.
Because of the wind, the balloon handlers, especially those with the taller floats, had a difficult time keeping their charges under control. The floating creatures would lean perilously close to the crowd when they navigated around corners. This added a note of danger to the excitement of the parade.
Star files Hey, King Tut you’re going the wrong way!.
The overhead street decorations were bobbing up and down in the wind. Tut’s headpiece snagged on one of the hanging garlands, causing him to spin around and face the oncoming parade. It took the assistance of several police officers to get the young king pointed in the right direction.
The Giant Balloon Parade route had lots of corners.
The balloons had been leased from Giant Balloon Parade, Inc., of New Jersey. The Tucson Retail Trade Bureau sponsored the event.
The 2nd Annual Giant Balloon Parade took place in 1965. Santa and his reindeer led the parade, followed by Santa’s Mail Box. The Post Office was assisting with the collection of letters to Santa. That year the balloons included a 50-foot long Sleeping Beauty, a giant cowboy and The Farmer in the Dell and his wife. There were also the customary bands and other floats.
A Morguetale note: My apologies for the poor quality photos, but I really wanted to show the balloons.
