There will be 34 balloons, 28 floats, 33 clown crews, 11 marching bands, 5,000 volunteers and over 3.5 million spectators at the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, with tens of millions more expected to watch from home.
The festivities, which kick off on Thursday morning, will also feature performances from dozens of stars, including Lil Jon, Cynthia Erivo and singers from the film “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Here’s what to know about this year’s spectacle.
Where is the best place to watch the parade?
The parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. at West 77th Street and Central Park West in Manhattan and end at the Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square at West 34th Street and Seventh Avenue. Arrive early to snag the best viewing spots on the 2.5-mile route — along Central Park West between West 75th and West 63rd Streets; on West 59th Street between Columbus Circle and Sixth Avenue; and along Sixth Avenue between West 59th and West 38th Streets.
Here is a map of the parade’s path. Viewing is restricted in certain areas.
Where will it be broadcast?
The parade will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock starting at 8:30 a.m. in all U.S. time zones. Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker of the “Today” show are returning as hosts. There will be encore broadcasts at 2 p.m. Eastern and at 2 p.m. Pacific.
Spanish-language coverage of the event will be broadcast live on Telemundo.
Who will be appearing?
Scheduled performers at the parade include Busta Rhymes, Kool & the Gang, Foreigner, Shaggy, Jewel, Ciara, Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Caillat. The Olympic figure skater Ilia Malinin and the Paralympic sled hockey player Jack Wallace will also be there.
Stars of the Broadway musicals “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Just in Time” and “Ragtime” will perform at Herald Square, as well as the high-kicking Rockettes, who are celebrating their 100th anniversary.
Marching bands from Panama, South Carolina, California, Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Alabama, Pennsylvania and the New York Police Department will also take part in the celebration.
What’s new this year?
There will be five new character balloons this year, according to the Macy’s website: Pac-Man, Shrek’s Onion Carriage, Buzz Lightyear, Mario and Derpy Tiger, a character from “KPop Demon Hunters.” Each balloon is between two and four stories tall.
This year’s parade will feature seven new floats, including a Lego winter scene, a 16-foot-tall Labubu and odes to Lindor truffles, Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” the mattress company Serta and the Holland America cruise line.
Also appearing for the first time will be a float from the snack brand Goldfish, which the brand says will be the smallest in the parade’s history. Showing Goldfish crackers in a sledding scene, the float measures just eight inches tall and will be pulled by a remote-controlled pickup truck.
Camille Baker is a Times reporter covering New York City and its surrounding areas.
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