NEW YORK (AP) — A century after the primary Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the annual vacation custom kicks off Thursday in New York Metropolis with new Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, zoo and pasta-themed floats, performances from Jennifer Hudson and Idina Menzel, and extra.
This 12 months’s star-studded lineup is a far cry from the parade’s preliminary incarnation, which featured floats displaying scenes from Mom Goose, Crimson Driving Hood and the Wolf, Miss Muffet and the Spider, and different fairy tales.
Some issues stay the identical, although. As in 1924, there will likely be loads of marching bands and plenty of clowns, adopted by the grand finale of Santa Claus driving via Manhattan and ushering within the vacation season.
This 12 months’s parade options 17 big, helium-filled character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns, 10 efficiency teams, award-winning singers and actors, and the WNBA champion New York Liberty.
One new float will highlight the Rao’s meals model, that includes a knight and a dragon in battle made with precise pasta parts. One other will have fun the Bronx Zoo’s one hundred and twenty fifth 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,” mentioned Will Coss, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade government producer.
The parade begins at 8:30 a.m. on Manhattan’s Higher West Aspect and ends 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away round midday at Macy’s Herald Sq. flagship retailer on thirty fourth Road, which serves as a stage and backdrop for performances.
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It’ll occur rain or shine — the parade has solely been canceled 3 times, from 1942 to 1944 throughout World Struggle II — however organizers will likely be monitoring wind speeds all through the festivities to verify it’s protected for the massive balloons to fly.
To this point, the forecast requires rain with temperatures within the upper-40s and winds round 10 mph (16 kph), effectively throughout the acceptable vary for letting Snoopy, Bluey and their pals soar. New York Metropolis legislation 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).
