For a parent, watching a son or daughter march in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Usually.

But for Chris Anderson, the trip to New York City last week to watch her son, John, perform in the annual event was her second this decade. Her older son, Stephen, participated in the event in 2003.

Both boys were members of the Franklin Regional High School marching band, which was awarded the rare honor of playing in the parade twice within such a short period.

Mrs. Anderson said she was able to accompany both sons to New York.

"The first time, there was the excitement of the unknown because we had never done it before," she said. "The second time, we kind of knew what to expect, so we were much more at ease."

Stephen, who played trombone, was a sophomore in 2003. John, who plays mallet percussion, is a senior this year.

Mrs. Anderson said watching the parade in person allowed her to appreciate details of the floats that you don't see on TV.

"The floats are so exquisite. The detail is amazing," she said.

Of course, being on the street means craning your neck upward to see all of the balloons, something you don't have to do at home, she said.

Kevin Pollock, the band director, said the group was lucky because the weather was nice, just as it was in 2003.

"The students did a remarkable job," he said. " The many hours of rehearsal and preparation paid off in a big way.

"The 3:10 rehearsal in front of the NBC cameras on Thanksgiving morning went extremely well. The people from NBC were very pleased.

"The students should be very proud of their parade performance and the presentation in front of Macy's that morning."

This year's parade followed a different route than usual, and Mr. Pollock said it allowed for good viewing sites. He said the crowd seemed even larger than in 2003.

"There seemed to be many more people watching from the windows of the buildings along the route," he said. "Everyone was in a festive mood. The electricity along the street was unbelievable."

Mr. Pollock said he's already been asked many times to compare the band's two experiences in New York.

"The best analogy might be that it's like having your second child," he said. "While we had some idea of what to expect this time, it was still different in some ways, but certainly no less exciting. There is no parade like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade."

The band's drum major, Eric Tarosky, was selected by Macy's as the winner of the Bob Hope Memorial Scholarship.

Mr. Pollock said each band in the parade was asked to submit an essay from a student who best meets the following criteria: musicianship, leadership, community service and sense of humor.

Eric was announced as the winner at the band directors' meeting with Macy's officials two nights before Thanksgiving. Linda Hope, Bob's daughter, sent a letter that was read at the meeting expressing her sentiment that after reading Eric's essay, she believed him to be the kind of person her father would have loved to meet.

Eric received a $5,000 award, and $5,000 also goes to the band.

Mrs. Anderson said John is her youngest child, so there will be no third trip to the parade for her. But she believes that any time a parent has a chance to take in an event such as the Macy's parade, he or she should do it.

"Seeing them march down Seventh Avenue," she said, "it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Except for a few families.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.