A trademark of every Dallas Holiday Parade, the giant inflatables that roam the streets of downtown Dallas, may not fly this year as the costs to safely maneuver them throughout the city has exceeded the city’s budget.
According to WFAA, it costs tens of thousands of dollars a year for the city to swing traffic signals out of the way to make room for the inflatables, which this year would burst their budget.
Organizer Jeffrey Giles said he paid $20,000 to the city last year, five times more than the year before, and says he's been told the cost this year could increase again.
Without a lower cost or help from a donor, he said the balloons likely will not make it down the street for this year's parade.
Giles says he's holding out hope for a Christmas miracle saying, "I don’t want for Dallas to lose that place where everybody is looking at us, saying, 'Wow. That’s amazing.' I just think we can all come to the table and say 'What can we do to make this happen?'"
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow 100.3 JACK-FM
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram