Balloons to blow your thoughts! Crowds collect for this 12 months’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in NYC with Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse prepared for motion to mark one centesimal 12 months
A century after the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the annual holiday tradition kicks off today in New York City with new Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, zoo and pasta-themed floats, performances from Jennifer Hudson and Idina Menzel, and more.
This year’s star-studded lineup is a far cry from the parade’s initial incarnation, which featured floats showing scenes from Mother Goose, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, Miss Muffet and the Spider, and other fairy tales.
Some things remain the same, though.
As in 1924, there will be plenty of marching bands and lots of clowns, followed by the grand finale of Santa Claus riding through Manhattan and ushering in the holiday season.
This year’s parade features 17 giant, helium-filled character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups, award-winning singers and actors, and the WNBA champion New York Liberty.
One new float will spotlight the Rao’s food brand, featuring a knight and a dragon in battle made with actual pasta elements.
Another will celebrate the Bronx Zoo’s 125th anniversary with representations of a tiger, a giraffe, a zebra and a gorilla.
‘The work that we do, the opportunity to impact millions of people and bring a bit of joy for a couple of hours on Thanksgiving morning, is what motivates us every day,’ said Will Coss, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer.
The Minnie Mouse balloon is inflated as workers participate in the annual balloon inflation for the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27
A view of the giant balloons, traditionally inflated on the fourth Thursday of November as part of the Thanksgiving Day celebration
This year’s parade features 17 giant, helium-filled character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups, award-winning singers and actors, and the WNBA champion New York Liberty
The parade begins at 8:30 a.m. on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and ends 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away around noon at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, which serves as a stage and backdrop for performances.
While rain is expected to fall in New York, the parade will happen rain or shine.
It has only been cancelled three times, from 1942 to 1944 during World War II – but organizers will be monitoring wind speeds throughout the festivities to make sure it’s safe for the big balloons to fly.
So far, the forecast calls for rain with temperatures in the upper-40s and winds around 10 mph (16 kph), well within the acceptable range for letting Snoopy, Bluey and their friends soar.
New York City law 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 network’s Peacock service. Carlos Adyan and Andrea Meza will host a Spanish simulcast on Telemundo.
e Macy’s inflation team works on giant balloons as they prepare ahead of the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City
nlookers watch as workers participate in the annual balloon inflation for the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The parade begins at 8:30 a.m. on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and ends 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away around noon at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, which serves as a stage and backdrop for performances
A child gestures in front of the Sinclair’s Dino balloon a day before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
It comes after it was revealed last week that potential terror threats had raised alarms for officials ahead of the Macy’s parade
It was revealed last week that potential terror threats had raised alarms for officials ahead of the Macy’s parade
A joint threat assessment obtained by ABC News highlighted how the parade may attract both foreign and domestic terroristic violence
Among the most significant threats stem from ‘lone offenders and small groups of individuals seeking to commit acts of violence’
It comes after it was revealed last week that potential terror threats had raised alarms for officials ahead of the Macy’s parade.
A joint threat assessment obtained by ABC News highlighted how the parade may attract both foreign and domestic terroristic violence according to multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the New York Police Department.
Among the most significant threats stem from ‘lone offenders and small groups of individuals seeking to commit acts of violence’, but the document noted there is not a ‘specific, actionable threat’.
Concern was expressed for vehicle ramming, which has become a ‘recurring tactic’ used by terrorists or terrorist groups looking to target crowded areas.
