Fort Lauderdale Attorney Clowns Around In Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
As Published in the Sun Sentinel
Fort Lauderdale attorney Chuck Tatelbaum is a real clown and he has the certification to prove it. He walks in the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as a Macy’s-certified clown, entertaining children and adults since 2010.
Tatelbaum has been an attorney for Macy’s for about 30 years and as a former high school drama student, he got the calling to participate in the parade. Another lawyer friend — who he calls “Macy’s Clownsel” — was in charge of the entertainment committee at Macy’s. The first step was to enroll in Macy’s Clown University to get certified. Taletbaum and his wife went to New York to enter the training at Clown U, passed the tests and received their certification.
“We did our first parade in 2010 and it’s quite strenuous,” Tatelbaum said. “My wife decided to stop but has continued to be my biggest supporter over the past decade. This is unbelievable for me because I get the opportunity to entertain people along the parade. They want us to interact with the kids and the adults on the side. It’s a wonderful experience.”
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, Tatelbaum was back in the swing of things doing what he loves this year. The four months of training to get in shape for the parade has kept the 79-year-old healthy and young. His daily preparation leading up to the parade includes an early morning workout and walk around his neighborhood.
“Training down here in the warmth just isn’t the same as walking in the cold in New York,” he said. “My grandchildren love the fact that I am a Macy’s clown. They go around bragging that their grandfather is a clown. There are a lot of lawyers out there that are clowns, but I’m the one with a degree from Clown U.”
Tatelbaum has been an attorney for 56 years and a clown for 12 years. He has participated in the Macy’s THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE for a decade.
“I turn 80 in February and have no intention of slowing down and as long as I am sponsored, I will continue this great journey,” he said. “This means a lot to me as well as everyone who is involved with the parade. My wife and I consider this the highlight of our year.”
The couple travels to New York the Sunday before Thanksgiving and flies back to Fort Lauderdale on Thanksgiving afternoon where they enjoy their Thanksgiving Day dinner.
The opportunity to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is therapeutic for the business bankruptcy lawyer.
“In my line of work, I never meet happy people and even my screensaver says ‘thank heaven for chapter 11,’” Tatelbaum said, laughing. “Being able to do this with my wife has been wonderful. We sign a clown oath of what we can and cannot do, which I wholeheartedly abide by. This is a privilege.”
