Northridge : Airborne Spiderman to Help Reopen Store

Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s . . . Spiderman?

A mammoth parade balloon of the Marvel Comics’ famed web-slinger--not to be confused with a certain other hero who also wears red and blue--will hover above Northridge Fashion Center today to mark the official reopening of Bullock’s.

The 198,400-square-foot store has been closed since it sustained severe damage during the Northridge earthquake. Events celebrating today’s reopening will focus on heroes, from the rescue workers who responded after the January, 1994, temblor to their more famous comic counterparts.

Highlights will include visits by the X-Men, Fantastic Four and Iron Man; autograph signing by Stan Lee, creator of Spiderman and Wolverine; a performance by the Granada Hills High School Marching Band; a children’s costume contest, and an awards ceremony honoring earthquake rescuers.

Activities will begin at 7 a.m., when workers will start the two-hour task of pumping 8,300 cubic feet of helium into the Spiderman balloon, which is known for its participation in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The event will mark the first appearance of the giant balloon in Southern California.

Bullock’s is located at 9301 Tampa Ave. in the Northridge Fashion Center. Grand-opening activities for the entire mall were held Aug. 2.

More information is available by calling (818) 379-2810.