The most sober event of the year is back; the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will start on Thursday morning in New York for its 99th edition. It is one of the most followed public demonstrations in the United States and, as the name suggests, it connects to Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day. According to the data reported by the organizers, this year will show 34 balloons, 28 wagons, 33 groups of clowns, 11 marching bands and about 5,000 volunteers, with a turnout waiting for over three and a half million people along the route. The parade is also a huge TV event: in recent years broadcasts on NBC and digital platforms have exceeded tens of millions of spectators.
The track will remain the traditional one, from the Upper West Side neighborhood to the Macy’s store in Herald Square. The departure is scheduled at 8:30 am from West 77th Street and Central Park West, to continue along Central Park West to Columbus Circle, cross West 59th Street and enter Sixth Avenue, where the parade will remain until West 38th Street before arriving. The areas considered more suitable for observing the parade — such as the sections between West 75th and West 63rd Street or between Columbus Circle and Sixth Avenue — often fill at dawn; some areas remain closed to the public for security reasons.
The parade will be broadcast nationally on NBC and Peacock from 8:30, with the conduction of the faces of the “Today Show” Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker. The issuer also provides a reply in the afternoon. Telemundo will take care of a parallel transmission in Spanish: This is a significant share of US viewers, which according to Census account for about 20 percent of the country’s population.
Guests include Busta Rhymes, Kool & the Gang, Foreigner, Shaggy, Jewel, Ciara, Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Caillat. They will also participate in the Olympic of skating Ilia Malinin and Jack Wallace, athlete of the national paralympic of sled hockey. In Herald Square will perform the casts of the musicals “Buena Vista Social Club”, “Just in Time” and “Ragtime”, along with the Rockettes, which in 2025 will celebrate the centenary of the formation.
As usual, a significant part of the public follows the parade especially for the balloons, which are among the most recognizable elements of the event since the Second World War. For this edition Macy’s has announced five new characters: Pac-Man, Shrek, Buzz Lightyear, Mario and Derpy Tiger, tied to the film “KPop Demon Hunters”. The dimensions remain impressive, between two and four floors, comparable to those of the iconic balloons of the past as Snoopy or Pikachu.
Next to the balloons also debut seven new wagons. Among these, a winter setting in Lego bricks, a structure dedicated to Lindor, a wagon inspired by the “Stranger Things” series, an installation with a Labububu high about five meters, and installations sponsored by Serta and Holland America Line. It will also draw attention to the Goldfish brand wagon, which according to the company will be the smallest in the history of the parade: tall just eight inches (about 20 cm), pulled by a remote controlled pick-up and decorated with a sledge scene.
Article The program, guests and news of the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade comes from IlNewyorkese.
