A little girl stole the show—and the internet’s heart—during the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with an unforgettable interaction with Al Roker.
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During NBC’s broadcast, the 71-year-old is seen engaging with the crowd when he notices a birthday girl named Elliot and warmly calls her over.
“So how old are you? Today’s your birthday?” the veteran Today show personality asks her while leaning in. The girl nods timidly and says she’s turning seven, prompting a cheerful “Happy birthday!” in response from Roker.
With the cheers of the crowd and the parade floats in full swing, Roker pulls out a golden ticket and presents it to the girl. Flashing a grin, he announces, “You get to see the … Radio City Music Hall Rockettes!”
But the seven-year-old’s deadpan response of, “I did that yesterday,” catches Roker completely off guard. He bursts into laughter before recovering instantly, telling her, “You did it yesterday! Oh my golly! Well, you get to see them again!”
Little girl at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has a big surprise for Al Roker when he awards her a Golden Ticket to see the Rockettes. pic.twitter.com/nQuE7V9V6a
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) November 27, 2025
The sweet back-and-forth earns giggles from the crowd and an excited “Yay!” from the birthday girl. Roker, ever the charmer, sends her warm wishes — “Happy birthday, sweetheart” — and nudges her to greet Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie. Savannah, quick with a laugh, jumps in with, “Hey, we saw her yesterday!”
The Internet Reacts to Little Girl’s Hilarious Response to Al Roker’s Macy’s Parade ‘Golden Ticket’
The clip quickly became a viral moment as footage of the exchange was shared widely across social media.
“Best live TV moment: ‘I saw them yesterday,’ one X user wrote in response to the footage. “Her final unenthused “yay” is hilarious,” another amused onlooker wrote.
“One thing a kid’s gonna do is be honest,” a third X user correctly observed.
Meanwhile, another onlooker gave a hat tip to the golden ticket’s Willy Wonka-inspired origins…
“A generation’s Veruca Salt is born,” they joked.