Get excited! The 95th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is coming up and will revert back to its pre-pandemic form with a new route across Manhattan. The Macy’s parade has long been a popular way to kick off the holiday season, with spectators frequently lining up a half-dozen deep along the route to cheer on the parade’s 8,000 marchers, two dozen floats, entertainers, and marching bands. Last year, the typical 2 1/2-mile path across congested Manhattan was abandoned in favor of concentrating celebrations on a one-block length of 34th Street in front of the retailer’s Manhattan flagship shop. To save down on travel, many of the parade’s performances were pre-taped, and the majority of the parade’s artists were local. Instead than being operated by humans, the balloons were connected to specialized vehicles. Visitors this year will once again be allowed to see the balloons inflated the day before the parade as long as they show proof of vaccination. Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 will be allowed if they are accompanied by a vaccinated adult.
This year’s fun-filled celebration will feature high-flying helium balloons pulled by handlers, and crowds waiting to cheer them on again. There will be 15 enormous character balloons, 28 floats, 36 novelty and heritage inflatables, over 800 clowns, 10 marching bands, and nine performance groups. Astronaut Snoopy, The Boss Baby, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” and other characters will be among the returning balloons. Ada Twist, Scientist, and Pokémon characters Pikachu and Eevee are among the new balloons joining the lineup on November 25th. The casts of “Six,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” and “Wicked” will all be on hand to represent Broadway. The Rockettes, as well as the actors of the upcoming NBC live performance of “Annie,” will also be in attendance.
New floats will be led by Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell, and Busy Philipps from “Girls5eva. Nelly and Jordan Fisher will also be in attendance, while Jon Batiste will be aboard an alligator-themed float showcasing Louisiana’s music, food, and culture. Carrie Underwood, Jimmie Allen, Kelly Rowland, Rob Thomas, Kristin Chenoweth, Darren Criss, Foreigner, Andy Grammer, Mickey Guyton, Chris Lane, Miss America Camille Schrier, Muppets from “Sesame Street,” and the three former and current hosts of “Blue’s Clues” — Steve Burns, Donovan Patton, and Josh Dela Cruz — are among the other celebrities in attendance. No matter if you have experienced Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (either live or virtually) or you are new to the festivities, you are in for a treat! Mark your calendars!