Holiday hustle is on as New Jerseyans prep their Thanksgiving feasts
WYCKOFF, N.J. -- Picking up everything from fresh turkeys to freshly baked pies, folks are out in force preparing to rock their Thanksgiving feasts.
Traffic was backed up as far as the eye could see Tuesday as folks vied for parking at Goffle Road Poultry Farm in Wyckoff.
Mike Natelli, of Oakland, New Jersey, shares this is tradition for 15 years and counting.
"You're here waiting on line 10-15 minutes just to park," he said.
Then, Natelli waited perhaps another 15 before the centerpiece was ready for pickup -- a 26-pounder to feed his family of 19. Is it worth the wait?
"It's absolutely worth it," Natelli said.
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"I have four pot pies in here that some lady in my building said they are the best, so here I am," said Hackensack resident Marie DePierro, who was visiting Goffle Road for the first time.
"I like all the stuff," 8-year-old Arielle said.
CBS New York's Vanessa Murdock caught up with Arielle, her brother Evan and their grandmother Wendy Reissman at Stew Leonard's in Paramus.
"We needed a couple of the things from the store, and I said, let's go to Stew Leonard's because it's so fun," Reissman said.
And it is filled with all the fixins for the perfect Thanksgiving feast.
"What do you love about Thanksgiving?" Murdock asked Arielle.
"The food," she said.
"Probably the turkey," 7-year-old Evan said.
Jacob Perincheril says the crush of carts mimics a Sunday afternoon, not a Tuesday.
"It's expected before a holiday," he said.
Rachel will be cooking for 11 and plans to get started Tuesday.
"My daughter loves sweet potato pie with banana and pineapple in it," she said.
Of course, one must not forget dessert.
"The key lime pie at the Pie Store. It's excellent pies. Love them, love them, love them," Newark resident Lashette Pennington said.
Pennington drove from Newark to pick up and arrived at a good time. At opening, the line was a block long, short compared to what Pie Store employees expect Wednesday.
"Usually holiday time, I'm too late in the game and I don't even get a pie," West Caldwell resident Coleen Helsel said.
Helsel refused to miss out this year. She is already rocking her Thanksgiving feast.
What side dish is everyone most excited about this Thanksgiving?
According to Google, green bean casserole was the most searched overall nationwide. Other popular dishes included mac-and-cheese and cranberry sauce.
For New Yorkers, roasted potatoes were at the top, while New Jersey residents want cornbread. Connecticut followed the national trend and chose green bean casserole.