Moorestown Teen to Star in Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Brett Eiffes can tell you what the best moment of her young 16-year-old life was: last Thanksgiving, when she got the chance to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“It was the best experience ever,” she said, not a trace of hyperbole in her voice. “I wish it could be every day.”

Though it can’t be every day, Brett, a junior at , will get the chance to revisit the best day of her life this Thursday, when she once again marches through the streets of Manhattan for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

As a member of Stagedoor Manor—a renowned summer theater camp in the Catskills in New York—Brett was chosen out of 800 who applied to perform in the parade’s opening number, along with 139 other Stagedoor students.

Because this is the parade’s 85th anniversary, the opening is a celebration of the parade’s history, featuring five characters from previous parades—one of which will be played by Brett. She’ll be front and center during the opening number, while her castmates sing and dance around her.

Brett, a seasoned stage performer, said she’s not nervous about being in the spotlight, but said, “It’s crazy (to be part of it) … It’s a big deal.”

“Basically they said to the (students playing) the characters, ‘You’re going to get a lot of TV time,” said Brett’s mother, Valerie.

Valerie said her daughter’s participation in the parade had an added element of drama this year because Brett had broken her arm and just days ago had it removed from the sling, so the family wasn’t sure whether she’d even be able to take part.

Following the opening, Brett and the rest of the Stagedoor Manor cast will make their way to the top of the parade route and march the length of the parade, eventually escorting Santa in at the end.  

Brett said her family is going to try and beat the crush of traffic out of the city following the parade so they can make it to her aunt’s home for Thanksgiving.

“But last year we had Thanksgiving at T.G.I. Friday’s,” she said.

To catch Brett in the parade, tune in to NBC at 9 a.m. Thursday when the parade kicks off.