NEW YORK – A century after the primary Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the annual vacation custom kicks off Thursday in New York Metropolis with new Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, zoo and pasta-themed floats, performances from Jennifer Hudson and Idina Menzel, and extra.
This 12 months’s star-studded lineup is a far cry from the parade’s preliminary incarnation, which featured floats displaying scenes from Mom Goose, Purple Using Hood and the Wolf, Miss Muffet and the Spider, and different fairy tales.
Some issues stay the identical, although. As in 1924, there will probably be loads of marching bands and many clowns, adopted by the grand finale of Santa Claus driving by way of Manhattan and ushering within the vacation season.
This 12 months’s parade options 17 big, helium-filled character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns, 10 efficiency teams, award-winning singers and actors, and the WNBA champion New York Liberty.
One new float will highlight the Rao’s food brand, that includes a knight and a dragon in battle made with precise pasta components. One other will rejoice the Bronx Zoo’s one hundred and twenty fifth anniversary with representations of a tiger, a giraffe, a zebra and a gorilla.
“The work that we do, the chance to impression tens of millions of individuals and convey a little bit of pleasure for a few hours on Thanksgiving morning, is what motivates us on daily basis,” stated Will Coss, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade government producer.
The parade begins at 8:30 a.m. on Manhattan’s Higher West Facet and ends 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away round midday at Macy’s Herald Sq. flagship retailer on thirty fourth Avenue, which serves as a stage and backdrop for performances.
It will occur rain or shine — the parade has solely been canceled 3 times, from 1942 to 1944 throughout World Battle II — however organizers will probably be monitoring wind speeds all through the festivities to verify it is protected for the large balloons to fly.
Up to now, the forecast requires rain with temperatures within the upper-40s and winds round 10 mph (16 kph), effectively inside the acceptable vary for letting Snoopy, Bluey and their pals soar. New York Metropolis regulation prohibits Macy’s from flying the full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph (37 kph) or wind gusts are over 35 mph (56 kph).
The parade airs on NBC with hosts Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker and streams on the community’s Peacock service. Carlos Adyan and Andrea Meza will host a Spanish simulcast on Telemundo.
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