The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will take place in New York City on Nov. 28. The parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and end at 12:00 p.m. outside of Macy’s Herald Square store. The parade, with its newest attractions, will also broadcast on NBC.
Preparation for this event has taken over a year, and organizers will utilize over 5,000 volunteers to carry out the new additions to the parade.
“We worked tirelessly to bring the parade to New York City, and [we’re] looking forward to sharing the love and spirit and excitement of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thanksgiving morning,” Macy’s Executive Producer Will Coss said in an interview with TODAY.
There will be six brand new floats added into the parade this year including Candy Cosmos by Haribo, the Wonderous World of Wildlife by the Bronx Zoo, and Dora’s Fantastical Rainforest by Nickelodeon and Paramount+. Viewers from all across America, including students from the school, tune into the parade on Thanksgiving day.
“I like seeing the floats a lot,” senior Avalon Steger said. “[Macy’s does] it differently every year, and I [have] grown up watching it. Seeing [the changes] every year is really cool.”
In addition to the attractions on the ground, there will be new attractions in the sky, too. Six new balloons will soar during the parade. Minnie Mouse, Goku, and Marshall from Paw Patrol, are just a couple of the extraordinary inflatables. Macy’s also returned a fan-favorite balloon back to the parade after a ten year hiatus, Spider-Man. Over 5,000 volunteers will be in the parade to help handle the balloons.
“We have a little bit of something for everyone,” Coss said.
The parade appeals to kids and the kids at heart. Musical artists, dancers, and Broadway performers showcase their talents right outside of the Macy’s store for viewers in New York or around the world. Some of the performances include Dan + Shay, T-Pain, Charli D’Amelio, Idina Menzel, The Radio City Rockettes, and The Outsiders.
“I really like seeing Broadway performances because I do theater,” senior Cara Bowling said. “Seeing [the actors] perform in such an enthusiastic way on the streets of New York is really fun to watch.”
The parade will also host 11 marching bands and over 700 clowns, a lesser known tradition of the parade. As a more classic tradition of the parade, Santa Claus will ride in on his sleigh to wrap up the parade and welcome the holiday season.
“I am excited about bringing all of the great work from our team at Macy’s Studios and everyone across America,” Coss said. “We worked tirelessly to bring the parade to New York City and [we’re] looking forward to sharing the love and spirit and excitement of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thanksgiving morning.”
