On Thanksgiving, Eloise Shirley marched with the Wimpy Kid balloon in the 90th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. She was joined by her son, Chris, and 21 other handlers of the five-story-tall balloon, one of 16 in the parade.  Over 3.5 million spectators lined the 2.5-mile parade route, which began near the American Museum of Natural History on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and proceeded downtown to Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square.

Eloise, 80, seemed undaunted by the 2.5-mile parade route that she walked, despite the 40-degree temperature and threat of rain. “Watching this parade on TV has been a part of our Thanksgiving tradition for generations. It was thrilling to finally be a part of it.”

Afterwards, Eloise and Chris, who has lived in Manhattan for over 20 years, enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner with friends on the Upper East Side.