Even for New Yorkers who think they've seen it all, this was a unique sighting!
Yesterday on Fifth Avenue in NYC, a large group of teddy bears protested the planned July closing of the world-famous toy store FAO Schwarz. The bears staged the protest in an unusual way -- running a huge picnic for themselves and passersby, right outside the store!
The song "Teddy Bears Picnic" (music by John Walter Bratton, words by Jimmy Kennedy) and other tunes blared out from a huge boombox, as the bears bustled about serving cookies and lemonade. Some of them entertained the crowd by dancing The Lindy, The Chicken Dance, even The Hokey Pokey!
More than one teddy bear, and even a few onlookers, had tears in their eyes, as the bears linked arms with each other, telling the crowd how sad they were about the forthcoming eviction and aiming to be upbeat by singing (with a geographical modification to the words) "Teddy Bears Picnic":
If you go down to Fifth Avenue today
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go down to Fifth Avenue today
You'd better go in disguise.
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain, because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.
------------------------------
As gossip columnist and sterling writer Cindy Adams always says, "Only in New York, kids, only in New York."
