The 97th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is quickly approaching and as we prep for the holiday madness you can look forward to 30 extra minutes of parade pizazz!
For the first time in history, the Parade will kick off at 8:30 am (rather than its usual 9am start time) in New York and on the national broadcast.
To pull off this year’s parade it will take 5,000 volunteers, more than 700 clowns, 12 marching bands and nine performance groups. Viewers will catch 6 featured character balloons, 26 fantastic floats, and 32 heritage and novelty balloons decorating NYC skies.
“For nearly 100 years, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been synonymous with the beginning of the holiday season, celebration and togetherness,” said Will Coss, Executive Producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Our talented team of Macy’s Studios artisans and production specialists work year-round to deliver the nation’s most beloved holiday event, live on Thanksgiving morning. We are proud to hold this responsibility and look forward to sharing our unbelievable designs, larger-than-life character balloons and first-class entertainment, all sure to create lifelong memories for Parade fans nationwide.”
Beyond an exciting early start time, the “Goddess of Pop,” Cher will make an appearance to perform a brand new holiday tune. Additional artists on the lineup include: Bell Biv DeVoe; Brandy; Chicago; En Vogue; ENHYPEN; David Foster and Katharine McPhee; Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors;Jessie James Decker; Ashley Park with the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street®; Pentatonix; Paul Russell.
This year’s parade features three new balloons that will join other veterans.
Interested in eating out after the parade? Check out these best NYC restaurants serving up delicious Thanksgiving meals.