NEW YORK — The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off Thursday morning in New York City under a steady rain that added raincoats and umbrellas to the lineup of balloons, themed floats and star performances.
The traditional annual celebration features new Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, zoo and pasta-themed floats and performances by Jennifer Hudson and Idina Menzel, and more.
This year’s star lineup is a far cry from the parade’s first edition held a century ago, which featured floats depicting scenes from Mother Goose, Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, Miss Muffet and the Spider, and other fairy tales.
However, some things don’t change. Just like in 1924, there will be lots of marching bands and plenty of clowns, followed by the grand finale of Santa Claus making his way through Manhattan and kicking off the Christmas 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 members of the Liberty of New York, the champion team of the WNBA women’s professional basketball league.
A new float highlights the Rao’s food brand, featuring a knight and dragon in battle made from real pasta elements. Another celebrates the 125th anniversary of the Bronx Zoo with depictions of a tiger, giraffe, zebra and gorilla.
“The work we do, the opportunity to impact millions of people and bring a little joy for a couple of hours on Thanksgiving morning, is what motivates us every day,” said Will Coss, producer Macy’s parade executive.
The parade began at 8:30 a.m. on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and will end 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) later around noon at Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square at 34th Street, which serves as a stage and backdrop for performances.
The rain wasn’t going to stop anything. The parade has only been canceled three times. from 1942 to 1944 during World War II—but organizers will be monitoring wind speeds during the celebration to make sure it’s safe for the balloons to be flying through the skies.
The temperature in New York City was about 4 degrees Celsius (40 degrees Fahrenheit) with rain showers during the morning and winds of about 16 kilometers per hour (10 miles per hour), within the acceptable range to allow Snoopy, Bluey and your friends fly. New York City law prohibits Macy’s from flying the full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph (37 km/h) or gusts exceed 35 mph (56 km/h).
The parade airs on NBC with hosts Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker and airs on the network’s Peacock service. Carlos Adyan and Andrea Meza will host a Spanish simulcast on Telemundo.