On Thursday, the 96th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will roll through the streets of Manhattan, and an estimated three million people will line the streets to get a look of the giant balloons, marching bands, famous performers, and, of course, Santa Claus.
The procession, which begins on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and ends at Herald Square, is the result of the combined efforts of around 6,500 volunteers. Performers in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade will not need to be vaccinated in order to take part, but they will be required to undergo a Covid-19 test at least 24 hours before the event.
Is there a broadcaster lined up for this?
At 9 a.m., NBC, Telemundo, and the Peacock streaming service will begin airing coverage of the parade.
The parade will conclude at noon, and its hosts are Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, and Al Roker from the “Today” programme. Mr. Roker was reportedly recently hospitalised for a blood clot, although it is unknown whether this will affect his participation.
I don’t see any signs of the procession.
The celebrations will begin near Central Park West and West 77th Street, although there will be very little, if any, public watching there.
It’s common for spectators to assemble at the route hours before the show begins in order to get prime viewing locations. Between West 75th and West 61st Streets on Central Park West and between West 59th and West 38th Streets on Sixth Avenue are the greatest sites to see the procession.
Who exactly is going to be marching?
Gloria Estefan will perform with her daughter and grandson, as well as Paula Abdul, Jimmy Fallon, the Roots, and others, during the parade. A last performance of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey will take place just before the parade wraps up in front of the Macy’s shop in Herald Square.
Both the Bourbon County High School Marching Colonels and the Benedict College Marching Tiger Band of Distinction will be performing, as will the Ballet Hispánico School of Dance.
There will also be seven balloonicles and thirty-one floats, with the number of big balloons increasing by twelve from last year. Some balloons will be as tall as six-story buildings, and others as broad as a fleet of six taxis. Baby Yoda, aka Grogu, and his hover pram are coming back for a second year.
So, what’s up?
As part of this year’s festivities around the World Cup, the first instalment of “Striker the U.S. Soccer Star” will be released. The balloonicle is shaped like a soccer player doing a quick bicycle kick and is as tall as a two-story building and as broad as two taxicabs.
Dog from the popular Australian programme Bluey and Minion Stuart will make their maiden appearances together, floating three to four stories above the throng. A fan favourite is coming back, but this time they’re adding a fresh twist. Famous “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” character Greg Heffley will be squatting next to some rotting cheese for the thirteenth time.
