The 93rd edition of the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade ushered in the holiday season with 16 giant
character balloons; 40 novelty balloons, heritage balloons, balloonicles,
balloonheads and trycaloons; 26 floats of fantasy; 1,200 cheerleaders and
dancers; more than 1,000 clowns; and 11 of the nation’s finest marching bands, starting
with the pilgrims riding a giant turkey and finishing with Santa Claus on his
sleigh.
Despite strong winds and gusts on the cusp of forcing the giant
balloons to be grounded, heroic balloon handlers acted more like wranglers to
keep the balloons in control, though flying so low as to touch the ground.
Still, there were thrills to be had, and not just the excitement at seeing favorite
characters as tall or as long as a building flying overhead, as the balloons
passed cross-streets where the winds were strongest, almost pushing the
balloons over. The crowd cheered their encouragement, “Go, go, go.”
New giant balloon characters joining
the line-up this year included Astronaut Snoopy by Peanuts Worldwide, Green
Eggs and Ham by Netflix, and SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary by Nickelodeon.
In celebration of his 75th birthday, a heritage balloon and fan favorite Smokey
Bear once again takes to the skies over Manhattan.
Returning giant balloon characters included
Diary of A Wimpy Kid® by Abrams Children’s Books; Sinclair Oil’s DINO®; The Elf
on the Shelf®; Goku; Illumination Presents Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch; Jett by Super
Wings™; Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen 2”; Chase from PAW Patrol®; Pikachu™ by the
Pokémon Company International; Pillsbury Doughboy™; Power Rangers Mighty
Morphin Red Ranger; Ronald McDonald®; and Trolls. Completing the inflatable
lineup is the famed Aflac Duck, Sinclair Oil’s Baby DINOs and the Go Bowling
balloonicles, as well as Universal Orlando Resort’s The Nutcracker.
The parade also featured special performances and appearances by
Natasha Bedingfield, Black Eyed Peas, Chicago, Ciara, Josh Dela Cruz, Celine
Dion, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Debbie Gibson, former NASA Astronauts Kay
Hire & Janet Kavandi, Chris Janson, Idina Menzel, Lea Michele, Miss America
2019 Nia Franklin, NHL® Legends Dominic Moore and Eddie Olczyk, the cast &
Muppets of Sesame Street, NCT 127, Ozuna, Billy Porter, Kelly Rowland, That
Girl Lay Lay, TLC, Tenille Townes, and Chris Young.
This
year, five new floats debuted
including Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues & You! (Josh Dela Cruz), The
Brick-changer by The Lego Group (NCT 127), Home Sweet Home by Cracker Barrel
Old Country Store® 3 (Tenille Townes), Rexy in the City by COACH® (Billy
Porter), and Toy House of Marvelous Milestones by New York Life (Kelly
Rowland).
The returning float roster and
its scheduled performers and special stars included 1-2-3 Sesame Street® by
Sesame Workshop™ (The cast and Muppets of Sesame Street); Big City Cheer! by
Spirit of America Productions (Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin); Central Park (Lea
Michele); Christmas Cheer is Near by Elf Pets®/The Elf on the Shelf®;
Cornucopia; Deck the Halls by Balsam Hill® (Idina Menzel); Everyone’s Favorite
Bake Shop by Entenmann’s® (Jimmy Fallon and The Roots); Fantasy Chocolate
Factory by Kinder™ (Natasha Bedingfield), Harvest in the Valley by Green Giant®
(Chris Janson); Heartwarming Holiday Countdown by Hallmark Channel (Chicago);
Mount Rushmore’s American Pride by South Dakota Department of Tourism (Chris
Young); the NHL® Most Valuable Hockey Mom presented by MassMutual (Black Eyed
Peas and NHL® Legends Dominic Moore and Eddie Olczyk); Parade Day Mischief by
SOUR PATCH KIDS® Candy (Ozuna); Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by
Nickelodeon (Ciara); Santa’s Sleigh (Santa Claus); Shimmer and Shine by Nickelodeon
(Debbie Gibson); Snoopy’s Doghouse by Peanuts Worldwide (Charlie Brown and
former NASA Astronauts Kay Hire and Janet Kavandi); Splashing Safari Adventure
by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions (TLC); Tom Turkey; and Universal Playground
by Universal Kids (That Girl Lay Lay).
Returning for a third year by popular demand, the Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree by Delta Air
Lines will feature the harmonious voices of more than 100 Macy’s colleagues and
friends from Delta hailing from across the nation and the world. Performing an
original song to celebrate the start of the holiday season, the golden-voiced
chorus will touch the hearts and uplift the spirits of millions.
For this year’s 93rd march, 11 of the specially chosen marching bands from around the country included
Awesome Original Second Time Arounders Marching Band (St. Petersburg, FL), Blue
Springs High School Golden Regiment (Blue Springs, MO), Catalina Foothills
Falcon Band (Tucson, AZ), Franklin Regional Panther Band (Murrysville, PA),
Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States), Madison Central High
School Band (Richmond, KY), Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. High School’s Kings of
Halftime (Lithonia, GA), Morgan State University’s The Magnificent Marching
Machine (Baltimore, MD), NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY), Ronald Reagan High
School Marching Band (San Antonio, TX), and Western Carolina University’s Pride
of the Mountains Marching Band (Cullowhee, NC).
Parade watchers also got a taste of the specialty performance groups. Joining the line-up
this year were the teen dancers and cheerleaders of Spirit of America Dance Stars
and Spirit of America Cheer – together featuring more than 1,200 of the very
best performers recruited from hometowns nationwide. Also, the hilarious 610
Stompers (New Orleans, LA), modern dance youth talent showcased by The Alvin
Ailey School (New York, NY).
Other performances included the tap dance theatrics of children from
The Nice List (New York, NY). Rounding out the performance group line-up and
joining select talent performances will be Gamma Phi Circus (Normal, IL),
Manhattan Youth Ballet (New York, NY), the dance stars of the world-renowned
in-school arts education program National Dance Institute (New York, NY) and
Young People’s Chorus of NYC (New York, NY).
On Thursday, November 28 at 9 a.m., the time honored phrase Let’s Have a Parade™ will ring from the starting line as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade kicks off on Central Park West in New York City. With more than 8,000 volunteers dressed as clowns, guiding the flight of larger-than-life character balloons, transporting spectators to new places on signature floats, bringing the beat in the nation’s best marching bands and entertaining the crowds as part of dazzling performance groups, the annual march is jam-packed with entertainment.
More than 3.5 million spectators line the two-mile
route in New York City with more than 50 million television viewers watching nationwide.
The 93rd edition of the iconic holiday event ushers
in the season with its signature giant character balloons, floats of fantasy,
the nation’s finest marching bands, whimsical groups, musical performances, and
the one-and-only Santa Claus.
The parade will also feature special performances
and appearances by Natasha Bedingfield, Black Eyed Peas, Chicago, Ciara, Josh
Dela Cruz, Celine Dion, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Debbie Gibson, former NASA
Astronauts Kay Hire & Janet Kavandi, Chris Janson, Idina Menzel, Lea
Michele, Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin, NHL® Legends Dominic Moore and Eddie
Olczyk, the cast & Muppets of Sesame Street, NCT 127, Ozuna, Billy Porter,
Kelly Rowland, That Girl Lay Lay, TLC, Tenille Townes, and Chris Young.
“Spectacle is
synonymous with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and each year we aim to
create an even bigger one than the last, with incredible must-see entertainment
for millions of spectators nationwide,” said Susan Tercero, executive producer
of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Featuring an amazing lineup of high-flying
character balloons, jaw-dropping animated floats, world-class marching bands
and performance groups, artists covering a variety of musical genres, and of
course, the one-and-only Santa Claus, we are ‘Parade Ready’ and can’t wait to
take to the streets of New York City to once again herald the arrival of the
holiday season.”
For more than nine decades, the magic of the holiday
season has begun with the march of the Macy’s Parade, as the spectacle enthralls
the nation with its signature mix of whimsical elements and dazzling
performances. For the 93rd edition, the line-up will feature 16 giant character
balloons; 40 novelty balloons, heritage balloons, balloonicles, balloonheads and
trycaloons; 26 floats; 1,200 cheerleaders and dancers; more than 1,000 clowns;
and 11 marching bands.
To kick off the revelry, a special must-see opening
number featuring a who’s who of actors, singers, dancers and more, all joined
by the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, will start the Thanksgiving Day party
with 2 a smash. The first hour of the national broadcast will also include a
special debut performance from her new album Courage by the incomparable Celine
Dion.
Iconic
Inflatables
The parade’s giant balloons have become a signature element since 1927, when the Parade’s character balloon swere first introduced, and over the years have come to feature some of the world’s most beloved characters. The inflatables roster has expanded over time to include high-flying giants, balloonheads and even hybrid inflatables with vehicles inside (balloonicles) or tandem tricycles (trycaloons).
New giants joining the line-up this year include Astronaut Snoopy by Peanuts Worldwide, Green Eggs and Ham by Netflix, and SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary by Nickelodeon. In celebration of his 75th birthday, a heritage balloon and fan favorite Smokey Bear once again takes to the skies over Manhattan.
Returning
giant balloon characters include Diary of A Wimpy Kid® by
Abrams Children’s Books; Sinclair Oil’s DINO®; The Elf on the Shelf®; Goku;
Illumination Presents Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch; Jett by Super Wings™; Olaf from
Disney’s “Frozen 2”; Chase from PAW Patrol®; Pikachu™ by the Pokémon Company
International; Pillsbury Doughboy™; Power Rangers Mighty Morphin Red Ranger;
Ronald McDonald®; and Trolls. Completing the inflatable lineup is the famed
Aflac Duck, Sinclair Oil’s Baby DINOs and the Go Bowling balloonicles, as well
as Universal Orlando Resort’s The Nutcracker.
Since 2005, the Macy’s Parade has featured high-flying
artwork created in collaboration with renowned contemporary artists. This year,
for the eighth edition of Macy’s Blue
Sky Gallery, Yayoi Kusama joins the parade with her Love Flies Up to the
Sky balloon. The design was developed by the artist from face motifs that
appear in her “My Eternal Soul” series of paintings that embody Kusama’s
innovative exploration of form and revolve around a tension between abstraction
and figuration. Previous balloons in the Macy’s Parade Blue Sky Gallery series
have included works from famed artists Tom Otterness, Jeff Koons, Keith Haring,
Takashi Murakami, Tim Burton, KAWS, and FriendsWithYou™.
Stars
on Parade
The Macy’s Parade has must-see entertainment for everyone in the family. Joining the festivities
will be stars from a variety of global music genres including Pop, R&B,
Country, Latin and K-Pop, with a few noteworthy special appearances thrown in
the mix. Appearing or performing onboard one of Macy’s signature floating
stages will be Natasha Bedingfield, Black Eyed Peas, Chicago, Ciara, Josh Dela
Cruz, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Debbie Gibson, former NASA Astronauts Kay
Hire & Janet Kavandi, Chris Janson, Idina Menzel, Lea Michele, Miss America
2019 Nia Franklin, NHL® Legends Dominic Moore and Eddie Olczyk, the cast &
Muppets of Sesame Street, NCT 127, Ozuna, Billy Porter, Kelly Rowland, That
Girl Lay Lay, TLC, Tenille Townes, and Chris Young; with an extra special
appearance by the one-and-only Santa Claus.
Floating
Entertainment
Gliding down Manhattan, the Parade’s signature floats transport spectators
to worlds of wonder through creative design, engineering, and skillful
construction, conceived and crafted by the incredible artisans of Macy’s Parade
Studio – a design and production facility that includes carpenters, engineers,
electricians, painters, animators, sculptors, metal fabricators, scenic and
costume designers. While they may seem to float down the Parade route as three
stories tall and several lanes of traffic wide stages, the magic is truly in
the design as these floats are built to collapse to no more than 12 ½-feet tall
and 8-feet wide in order to travel safely from the New Jersey home of the
Parade Studio to the Manhattan starting line via the Lincoln Tunnel each
Thanksgiving eve.
This year,
five new floats will debut including Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues & You!
(Josh Dela Cruz), The Brick-changer by The Lego Group (NCT 127), Home Sweet
Home by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® 3 (Tenille Townes), Rexy in the City
by COACH® (Billy Porter), and Toy House of Marvelous Milestones by New York
Life (Kelly Rowland).
The returning
float roster and its scheduled performers and special stars include 1-2-3
Sesame Street® by Sesame Workshop™ (The cast and Muppets of Sesame Street); Big
City Cheer! by Spirit of America Productions (Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin);
Central Park (Lea Michele); Christmas Cheer is Near by Elf Pets®/The Elf on the
Shelf®; Cornucopia; Deck the Halls by Balsam Hill® (Idina Menzel); Everyone’s Favorite
Bake Shop by Entenmann’s® (Jimmy Fallon and The Roots); Fantasy Chocolate
Factory by Kinder™ (Natasha Bedingfield), Harvest in the Valley by Green Giant®
(Chris Janson); Heartwarming Holiday Countdown by Hallmark Channel (Chicago);
Mount Rushmore’s American Pride by South Dakota Department of Tourism (Chris
Young); the NHL® Most Valuable Hockey Mom presented by MassMutual (Black Eyed
Peas and NHL® Legends Dominic Moore and Eddie Olczyk); Parade Day Mischief by
SOUR PATCH KIDS® Candy (Ozuna); Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by
Nickelodeon (Ciara); Santa’s Sleigh (Santa Claus); Shimmer and Shine by
Nickelodeon (Debbie Gibson); Snoopy’s Doghouse by Peanuts Worldwide (Charlie
Brown and former NASA Astronauts Kay Hire and Janet Kavandi); Splashing Safari
Adventure by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions (TLC); Tom Turkey; and Universal
Playground by Universal Kids (That Girl Lay Lay).
Returning for a third year by popular demand, the Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree by Delta
Air Lines will feature the harmonious voices of more than 100 Macy’s colleagues
and friends from Delta hailing from across the nation and the world. Performing
an original song to celebrate the start of the holiday season, the
golden-voiced chorus will touch the hearts and uplift the spirits of millions.
Strike
up the Bands
The nation’s best marching bands bring the beat to the holiday revelry. For this
year’s 93rd march, 11 of the specially chosen ensembles will ignite
coast-to-coast excitement and hometown pride as they step off and perform on
the streets of the Big Apple. This year’s bands include Awesome Original Second
Time Arounders Marching Band (St. Petersburg, FL), Blue Springs High School
Golden Regiment (Blue Springs, MO), Catalina Foothills Falcon Band (Tucson, AZ),
Franklin Regional Panther Band (Murrysville, PA), Macy’s Great American
Marching Band (United States), Madison Central High School Band (Richmond, KY),
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. High School’s Kings of Halftime (Lithonia, GA),
Morgan State University’s The Magnificent Marching Machine (Baltimore, MD),
NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY), Ronald Reagan High School Marching Band (San
Antonio, TX), and Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching
Band (Cullowhee, NC).
Entertaining the crowds with their signature
exuberance will be the Parade’s signature large and specialty performance groups. Joining the line-up this year are the
teen dancers and cheerleaders of Spirit of America Dance Stars and Spirit of
America Cheer. These groups together feature more than 1,200 of the very best
performers recruited from hometowns nationwide. Days before Thanksgiving, they
will gather for the first time in New York City to rehearse their numbers as a
group, ahead of their once-in-a-lifetime national spotlight. Adding some wacky
1980s style dancing will be the hilarious 610 Stompers (New Orleans, LA), with
modern dance youth talent showcased by The Alvin Ailey School (New York, NY)
and the tap dance theatrics of children from The Nice List (New York, NY).
Rounding out the performance group line-up and joining select talent
performances will be Gamma Phi Circus (Normal, IL), Manhattan Youth Ballet (New
York, NY), the dance stars of the world-renowned in-school arts education
program National Dance Institute (New York, NY) and Young People’s Chorus of
NYC (New York, NY).
A
National Holiday Event
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the nation’s
biggest and most anticipated holiday celebration. Broadcast nationally on NBC,
with millions of families nationwide tuning in to watch the excitement unfold,
the TODAY Show’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will host the
three-hour broadcast from 9 a.m. – noon (in all time zones). Following the
opener, on 34th Street, Broadway’s best shows will take a star turn in front of
Macy’s famed flagship with special performances from the casts of Ain’t Too
Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, Beetlejuice, Hadestown and Tina
– The Tina Turner Musical. In addition, the show-stopping Radio City Rockettes®
will bring their signature high-kicking magic to Herald Square. 4
For the fourth year, Macy’s, with NBCUniversal and Verizon, will give viewers an up close and personal second screen experience of the Parade with a 360-degree livestream on Verizon’s YouTube page. The stream will go live at 8:30 a.m. EST at www.youtube.com/verizon and will run through noon EST. With exclusive access to cameras along the entire Parade route, online spectators will get a glimpse of the magic behind the scenes, as well as a preview of what’s to come as the Parade marches down the streets of Manhattan.
For spectators in New York or those traveling to the
city to see it live, the 93rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 9
a.m., kicking off from 77th Street and Central Park West. The procession will
march to Columbus Circle, turn onto Central Park South and then march down 6th
Avenue/Avenue of the Americas. At 34th Street, the Parade will make its final
turn west and end at 7th Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square.
For an insider’s look at the holiday procession, fans nationwide should visit macys.com/parade for regular updates including behind-the-scenes previews, special tours, interactive historical information, and more. Fans can also follow @macys on various social networks and join the conversation using #MacysParade.
The iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is actually two events, which begins the day before with the Macy’s Balloon Inflation, from 1 to 8 pm when you can watch the volunteers as they literally breathe life into the iconic giants.
This
has become wildly popular, with thousands and thousands of people arriving for
a peek as hundreds of volunteers work to inflate the balloons. They start off
flat, laid out in precise order on the streets around the American Museum of
Natural History.
But
the event is so popular, the entrance is at 73rd and Columbus (be
prepared for intense security; can’t bring backpacks and very long lines),
following a route up Central Park West, to 77th Street, Columbus Avenue and back down 81st
streets to the exit.
The
best time to watch is around 5 pm when you will see the balloons in various
stages of completion. (Insider tip: if you visit the Museum of Natural History
early in the day, when you leave, you are right in the middle of the action.
This
is really an insider’s look and it is really thrilling.
Since
1927, when the Parade’s character balloons first joined the revelry, the
inflatables have become a signature element featuring some of the world’s most
beloved characters. Over time, the inflatables have morphed from air-filled
characters carried on sticks to high-flying giants, balloonheads and even
hybrid inflatables with vehicles inside (balloonicles) or tandem tricycles
(trycaloons).
New
giants joining the line-up this year include Astronaut Snoopy by Peanuts
Worldwide, Green Eggs and Ham by Netflix, and SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary
by Nickelodeon. In celebration of his 75th birthday, a heritage balloon and fan
favorite will return to the Parade as Smokey Bear once again takes to the skies
over Manhattan.
The Peanuts balloon at the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation event, NYC (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
In 2005, the Macy’s Parade began to feature
what would become a collection of high-flying artwork created in collaboration
with renowned contemporary artists. The special series, entitled Macy’s Blue
Sky Gallery, has featured some of the art world’s finest creators. This year,
for the eighth edition of the series, the world’s most renowned female
contemporary artist will take her iconic art to new heights as Yayoi Kusama
joins the Macy’s Parade with her Love Flies Up to the Sky balloon. The design
was developed by the artist from face motifs that appear in her “My Eternal
Soul” series of paintings–a body of work that she began in 2009. Vibrant and
animated, the paintings embody Kusama’s innovative exploration of form and
revolve around a tension between abstraction and figuration. The artist’s
signature dots–which recur throughout her practice—are also featured
prominently in the Macy’s Parade balloon design. Previous balloons in the
Macy’s Parade Blue Sky Gallery series have included works from famed artists
Tom Otterness, Jeff Koons, Keith Haring, Takashi Murakami, Tim Burton, KAWS,
and FriendsWithYou™.
Returning
giant balloon characters include Diary of A Wimpy Kid® by Abrams Children’s
Books; Sinclair Oil’s DINO®; The Elf on the Shelf®; Goku; Illumination Presents
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch; Jett by Super Wings™; Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen 2”;
Chase from PAW Patrol®; Pikachu™ by the Pokémon Company International;
Pillsbury Doughboy™; Power Rangers Mighty Morphin Red Ranger; Ronald McDonald®;
and Trolls. Completing the inflatable lineup is the famed Aflac Duck, Sinclair
Oil’s Baby DINOs and the Go Bowling balloonicles, as well as Universal Orlando
Resort’s The Nutcracker.
93rd Edition of Macy’s
Thanksgiving Parade
Then,
the 93rd edition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade kicks off at 9 am
on Thursday, November 28 when the time
honored phrase Let’s Have a Parade™ rings from the starting line. With more
than 8,000 volunteers dressed as clowns, guiding the flight of larger-than-life
character balloons, transporting some 2.5 million spectators who line New York
City’s streets and 50 million more watching on television to new worlds.
Olaf flies in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
The
iconic holiday event ushers in the season with its signature giant character
balloons, floats of fantasy, the nation’s finest marching bands, whimsical
groups, musical performances, and the one-and-only Santa Claus With special
performances and appearances by Natasha Bedingfield, Black Eyed Peas, Chicago,
Ciara, Josh Dela Cruz, Celine Dion, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Debbie Gibson,
former NASA Astronauts Kay Hire & Janet Kavandi, Chris Janson, Idina
Menzel, Lea Michele, Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin, NHL® Legends Dominic Moore
and Eddie Olczyk, the cast & Muppets of Sesame Street, NCT 127, Ozuna,
Billy Porter, Kelly Rowland, That Girl Lay Lay, TLC, Tenille Townes, and Chris
Young
Here are more fun facts about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade:
OVERVIEW:
3.5 million people line the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route in New York city (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
•
Years of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – 93 (est. 1924) o Note: The Parade
was canceled in 1942, 1943 and 1944 due to World War II.
•
Parade Route Spectators – 3.5 Million
•
Parade Route Length – 2.5 miles (77th & Central Park West south to 34th
Street-Herald Square)
•
Participants – 8,000+ including Macy’s colleagues and their friends &
families, celebrities, recording artists, athletes, Broadway performers,
marching bands, clowns, dancers, cheerleaders and other performance groups
BALLOONS:
•
Giant character helium balloons – 16
•
40 novelty, heritage, specialty balloons, balloonicles, balloonheads and
trycaloons
•
New balloons – Astronaut Snoopy by Peanuts Worldwide, Green Eggs and Ham by
Netflix, SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary by Nickelodeon, Smokey Bear by USDA
Forest Service, and Love Flies Up to the Sky by Yayoi Kusama
•
Height of tallest balloon – 62 feet (Diary of A Wimpy Kid®)
•
Length of longest balloon – 77 feet (Power Rangers Mighty Morphin Red Ranger)
•
Width of widest balloon – 39 feet (Jett by Super Wings™)
•
Balloon handlers – more than 1,600 (90 handlers on average per giant balloon)
More than 1600 volunteers are on hand to handle the giant balloons at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
FLOATS:
•
Floats – 26, comprised of hundreds of different set pieces and other structural
elements
•
New floats – Blue’s Clues & You! by Nickelodeon, The Brick-Changer by The
LEGO Group, Home Sweet Home by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®, Rexy in the
City by COACH®, and Toy House of Marvelous Milestones by New York Life
•
Length and height of largest float – 60 feet long and 3.5 stories tall (Santa’s
Sleigh)
• Float escorts – 400
THE
BROADCAST:
•
Television Viewers – More than 50 Million, one of the country’s most viewed
televised events
•
Hours of Live Television – 3 (9am-noon, in all time zones), 3 rebroadcast
(2pm-5pm, in all time zones)
•
Years on NBC, official national broadcast partner – 66 (since 1952)
•
NBC TODAY Show anchors as host of the Parade: o 2019 marks Hoda Kotb’s 2nd year
hosting o 2019 marks Savannah Guthrie’s 8th year (since 2012)
• 2019 marks Al Roker’s 25th year (since 1995)
Al Roker marks his 25th year in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.
ENTERTAINMENT,
PERSONALITIES & PERFORMERS:
•
Marching Bands – 11 bands spanning approximately 2,793 members in total
•
Performance Groups – 10 groups including 600 cheerleaders and 600 dancers from
all over the country
•
Radio City Rockettes® – An annual favorite, they first performed in the 1957
Parade
•
Broadway musicals – 4, the long-standing relationship with Broadway shows to
showcase performances nationally, dating back to 1977
•
Choral Singers (Macy’s own) – 100
• Clowns – 1,000
• Clown Stilt Walker Units – 22
•
Santa Claus – the ONE and ONLY in his famed Parade finale appearance o Santa
Claus has closed the Macy’s Parade every year with the exception of 1933, the
only year in which he led the official Parade march
There are 1000 clowns in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
BEHIND-THE-SCENES
MAGIC BY THE MACY’S PARADE STUDIO TEAM:
•
Hours of labor from the Parade Studio team of approximately 27 painters,
carpenters, animators, sculptors, welders, scenic/costume designers,
electricians and engineers – 50,000+
•
Square Footage of the Parade Studio’s Moonachie, NJ headquarters – 72,000
•
Length of Tubular Steel – nearly ½ mile for creation of the Macy’s Singing
Tree, and the most steel ever sourced for a Macy’s Parade float
•
Pounds of Glitter – 300
•
Costumes – 4,200
•
Make-Up Artists for Clowns – 90
•
Banner Carriers – 95
The Singing Tree at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Millions will line the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route despite record cold temperatures for the 92nd annual parade, but on the night before Thanksgiving, tens of thousands come out to take part in a pre-holiday festival, which has come to be known as the Macy’s Balloon Inflation.
After braving lines that funnel through 73rd and Columbus to Central Park West, snaking up to 77th Street, they get to see up close as 16 giant character helium balloons and 43 novelty/ornament balloons, balloonicles (a hybrid balloon and vehicle that Macy’s invented), balloonheads and trycaloons (a Macy’s hybrid tandem bicycle and balloon concoction) being readied for their Thanksgiving Day flights. The new class of balloons includes the anime star Goku from “Dragon Ball Super, Broly”; Fleck, Bjorn, Jojo and Hugg the elf stars of Netflix’s “The Christmas Chronicles,” Little Cloud by Friends With You; the newest entry into the Parade’s Blue Sky Gallery series of balloons by renowned contemporary artists, the Go Bowling pins and bowling ball balloonicles; Sinclair’s Baby Dino balloonicles and the astronaut star of Macy’s Christmas celebrations, Sunny the Snowpal.
Hundreds of volunteers take part in the event, many who will be proudly marching with their balloons the next day. Among them, Douglas Malnati, who has been one of the balloon volunteers for 15 years, starting right out of college. He’s otherwise an IT guy.
Everyone’s favorite blockhead, PEANUTS’ Charlie Brown once again flies through New York City with his trusty kite. This November, Charlie Brown will practice his flight moves ahead of next year’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of man- and beagle-kind landing on the moon! The celebration kicked off in July with the signing of a Space Agreement with NASA to bring the joy of space exploration to a new generation. Despite getting tangled with his kite’s tail, Charlie Brown is sure to arrive just in time to 34th Street for his big moment in the spotlight. Balloon Dimensions: 53-feet long, 31-feet wide, 46-feet tall Fun Fact: Charlie Brown’s famous kite measures 26-feet wide and nearly 30-feet tall and its tail is more than 80-feet long.
The mega-popular star of the internationally best-selling book series, Greg Heffley will fly in the Parade for the ninth time this Thanksgiving. The second edition of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid balloon takes its third trip down the Parade route celebrating the release of the 13th book in the series, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown.” As always, Greg will delight millions of fans as he seemingly slips on ice during his Parade march down the streets of New York City. Balloon Dimensions: 62-feet long, 32-feet wide, 62-feet tall Fun Fact: 2018 marks the ninth Parade appearance for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the third flight of the latest version of the main character Greg Heffley as a balloon giant.
SINCLAIR’S DINO® SINCLAIR OIL CORPORATION
America’s most famous Apatosaurus, Sinclair’s DINO (pronounced DYE-NO), returns to New York City after traveling across the country visiting stations and meeting fans. DINO is a classic Parade balloon, first appearing in the 1963 Macy’s march. Balloon Dimensions: 72-feet long, 24-feet wide, 36-feet tall Fun Fact: The original DINO balloon was inducted as an honorary member of the Museum of Natural History in 1975, and the balloon returned to the Macy’s Parade in 2015, after nearly 40 years.
THE ELF ON THE SHELF® The holiday season would not be the same without Santa’s trusted Scout Elves. The arrival of the Elf on the Shelf® balloon marks the kickoff of the holiday season for families across the country as they prepare to welcome back their Scout Elves during Scout Elf Return Week™. Balloon Dimensions: 46-feet tall, 28-feet wide, 64-feet long Fun Fact: The Elf on the Shelf balloon is one of the biggest balloons in the Parade by height, width and length.
DRAGON BALL SUPER: BROLY’S GOKU FUNIMATION® The legendary hero of Dragon Ball takes to the streets of Manhattan for his Parade debut this year ahead of his starring role in the North American theatrical release of Dragon Ball Super: Broly this January. Goku, the star of the iconic Japanese animation franchise Dragon Ball, is a Saiyan warrior who was sent to destroy Earth as a child. When a brain injury changed Goku’s programming, he became peaceful, good-natured, loving and honest – many adjectives that describe the celebration of Thanksgiving! Balloon Dimensions: 70-feet long, 36-feet wide, 56-feet tall Fun Fact: The Goku balloon is depicted in his new Super Saiyan Blue form, which represents a new era of the Dragon Ball franchise.
ILLUMINATION PRESENTS DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT Everyone’s favorite Christmas curmudgeon returns this Thanksgiving as The Grinch, along with his loyal dog Max, return to the Parade route trying to steal more than just Santa’s thunder. With a sack full of toys the duo celebrates their second Parade this year and the release of the new comedy Illumination Presents Dr. Seuss’ THE GRINCH Balloon Dimensions: 49-feet long, 24-feet wide, 37-feet tall Fun Fact: The Grinch and Max are only the fourth-ever giant balloons to take flight as a duo in the Parade’s history.
JETT BY SUPER WINGS™ ALPHA GROUP Jett, the fun-loving transforming plane from the animated preschool series Super Wings on both Netflix and Universal Kids, is used to adventure as he travels the world delivering packages to children and solving problems along the way. This November he will be fueled and ready for takeoff on his second flight through the streets of New York City Thanksgiving morning. Balloon Dimensions: 47-feet long, 39-feet wide, 31-feet tall Fun Fact: Jett made his debut in 2017 and is the widest balloon in the Parade — his wingspan is equal to the size of an actual Learjet.
OLAF WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS Olaf, the beloved snowman from Disney’s Frozen, returns to the Macy’s Parade with his usual cheerful disposition on full display. Taking a break from his starring role in the hit Broadway Musical Disney’s Frozen, Olaf will spread dazzling smiles down the route, warming the hearts of millions of spectators this Thanksgiving. Balloon Dimensions: 58-feet long, 32-feet wide, 60-feet tall Fun Fact: Olaf is the first-ever Macy’s balloon to glisten, mimicking real snow. This required perfecting the right mixture of white shades of paint and glitter that truly make Olaf standout as he takes flight down the Parade route.
PAW PATROL® SPIN MASTER LTD. & NICKELODEON Showing the citizens of New York that “no job is too big, no pup is too small” Chase the Police pup from the popular preschool series, PAW Patrol, is ready to protect all as he flies down the 2.5-mile route this November. Balloon Dimensions: 60-feet long, 36-feet wide, 43-feet tall Fun Fact: Chase’s hat could cover an actual police squad car and his paws are larger than two full-grown German shepherd dogs.
PIKACHU™ THE POKÉMON COMPANY INTERNATIONAL The much-loved Pokémon Pikachu returns to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the 18th consecutive year – just in time for the launch of Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee, the newest video games from the popular entertainment franchise. This year, Pikachu is bundled up in a warm scarf for the chilly New York weather, ready to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season with fans. Balloon Dimensions: 36-feet long, 29-feet wide, 53-feet tall Fun Fact: While the Parade’s third version of Pikachu is of giant proportions, Pikachu in reality officially measures just 1-foot, 4-inches tall.
PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY™ PILLSBURY™ Inspiring Thanksgiving bakers across the country, the classic Pillsbury Doughboy celebrates the fall spectacular at Macy’s alongside millions of Americans as they enjoy both his cheerful giggle and home baked holiday treats. Balloon Dimensions: 54-feet long, 34-feet wide, 46-feet tall Fun Fact: It would take more than four million Pillsbury Crescent Rolls to create a “dough-sized” version of the balloon.
RED MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGER HASBRO The 92nd Parade marks The Power Rangers’ historic 25th anniversary. It remains one of the longest running live action children’s series in television history. The iconic Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger balloon will remind millions of Parade spectators that it’s Morphin Time! this Thanksgiving. Balloon Dimensions: 77-feet long, 26-feet wide, 56-feet tall Fun Fact: The larger than life Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger is the longest balloon in the Parade; one of his arms is the length of a standard school bus at 45-feet.
RONALD McDONALD® McDONALD’S® Ronald McDonald, the world’s most famous clown and McDonald’s Chief Happiness Officer, gives his signature “thumbs up!” to the season of thanks as he joins millions in celebrating the start of the holiday season. Ronald says; “see a smile, share a smile” and he is sure to delight spectators and prompt millions of smiles across the country. Balloon Dimensions: 61-feet long, 29-feet wide, 67-feet tall Fun Fact: The iconic “Big Red Shoes” Ronald is wearing are 6-feet long!
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS NICKELODEON The nation’s favorite pineapple-dwelling sea sponge, will celebrate his 14th Parade this Thanksgiving. Next year, Nickelodeon invites fans to join a celebration of 20 years of SpongeBob – one of the most beloved animated characters in TV history – with a new season of episodes, events and more. Balloon Dimensions: 41-feet long, 34-feet wide, 44-feet tall Fun Fact: SpongeBob SquarePants defied gravity as the first-ever square Parade balloon and is pulled into his signature shape by more than 800 internal tie-lines.
TOOTHLESS DREAMWORKS ANIMATION’S HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD The world’s most heroic dragon, Toothless will return this fall for a new flight down the Parade route. The famed Night Fury will fly above the streets of Manhattan, before he and his Viking friend Hiccup are seen in DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World ,which opens in theaters nationwide this winter. Balloon Dimensions: 72-feet long, 36-feet wide, 48-feet tall Fun Fact: This midnight-colored dragon used a special paint to get his signature color. It collects heat in order to properly conserve his helium filled structure.
NOVELTY BALLOONS FLECK, BJORN, JOJO AND HUGG NETFLIX’S “THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES” Meet Fleck, Bjorn, Jojo and Hugg. These charming elves will help Santa save Christmas in the new Netflix film “The Christmas Chronicles.” You can often find tiny Fleck carrying Santa’s bag tracker and Bjorn in a candy cane-fueled toy-making frenzy, while troublemaker Jojo delivers letters to Santa and Hugg is hard at work making toys with his chainsaw. Balloon Dimensions: 16, 20-feet wide, 30-feet tall Fun Fact: The Christmas Chronicles elves are the first Netflix balloons to be featured in the Parade.
LITTLE CLOUD FRIENDSWITHYOU™ Little Cloud, the iconic emblem of art collaborative FriendsWithYou, takes to the sky on Thanksgiving as part Macy’s Blue Sky Gallery series, which invites contemporary artists to recreate their work as Parade balloons. Artists Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III will join Little Cloud and two raindrops in this year’s Parade, creating an artistic expression of joy and love fitting for the iconic Macy’s Parade route. Balloon Dimensions: 22-feet tall, 30-feet wide Fun Fact: Little Cloud represents the seventh balloon in Macy’s Blue Sky Gallery art balloon series.
THE NUTCRACKER UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT™ This classic Christmas decoration appears in the form of a super-sized balloon to help kick off the holiday season! The Nutcracker balloon made its debut in the 2017 “Universal Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s” at Universal Studios Orlando, and marched its way up to New York to join the Parade this Thanksgiving. Balloon Dimensions: 45 feet tall, 18.5 feet wide, 16-feet long Fun Fact: The Nutcracker balloon is 24 times the size of the traditional holiday decoration.
SUNNY THE SNOWPAL One of the many holiday heroes in this year’s Parade is Macy’s very own Snowpal, Sunny! This cool cosmonaut comes to the rescue with her friend Fox when Santa’s sleigh breaks down on Christmas Eve. Blasting off in her rocket ship, Sunny works her magic to repair the sleigh and save the day, showing us all that there are so many reasons to believe in the wonder of giving! Balloon Dimensions: 26-feet tall, 19-feet wide, 16-feet long Fun Fact: Sunny is an original character created for Macy’s 2018 holiday campaign.
BALLOONICLES (A Macy’s Parade innovation, hybrid cold air balloon and self-propelled vehicle) BABY DINOS SINCLAIR OIL CORPORATION The three newborn Baby DINOS from Sinclair Oil Corporation are anything but prehistoric! The adorable Apatosaurus trio came straight from the nest to join the Sinclair DINO balloon in this year’s Parade. Fun Fact: Like the Sinclair DINO balloon, the Baby DINO balloonicles appear in life-size form. GO BOWLING There will be turkeys at Thanksgiving meals and on the Parade route this year with the new Go Bowling™ balloonicles. Two bowling shoes and six bowling pins will be chased by a determined bowling ball down the route. Fun Fact: With 16-foot-tall bowling pins and a 12-foot diameter bowling ball, this Balloonicle is sure to score! 5 THE AFLAC DUCK AFLAC, INC. The world’s most famous “spokesduck,” the Aflac Duck has returned for his eighth Parade, having smartly prepared all year long so he would not miss this quintessential NYC holiday experience. Balloonicle Dimensions: 30-feet tall, 15-feet wide Fun Fact: The Aflac Duck’s glowing heart is encased by his heart shaped-wings. His inner tube base to “slide” down the Parade route is larger than the size of an in-ground home swimming pool.
ARRTIE, THE PIRATE Arrtie the Pirate a recreation of the classic Pirate balloon of 1947 returns! Arrtie, the loveable pirate with map in hand is on a search for Holiday treasure this Thanksgiving. Balloon Dimensions: 36-feet tall Fun Fact: A staple of the Parade in the late 1940s and 1950s, Arrtie was recreated as part of the Parade’s heritage balloon program that reinvents historic Macy’s characters for a new audience.
MACY’S STARS (BLUE & WHITE, RED & GOLD, YELLOW, GOLD STARFLAKES, BELIEVE) You’ll be seeing stars at the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade– literally! See if you can spot them in blue and white, red and gold, with gold star flakes, in yellow and proclaiming “Believe” at various points in the parade lineup! Balloon Dimensions: 12-feet deep, 24-feet wide, 25-feet tall Fun Fact: The Macy’s Stars are representative of the Parade’s changing color scheme from autumnal colors to the bright and cheerful colors of the holiday season.
PILGRIM MAN & WOMAN BALLOONHEADS MAMA, PAPA & BABY BALLOONHEADS The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade family would not be complete without Pilgrim Man & Woman and the Mama, Papa and Baby Balloonheads! Balloon Dimensions: 12-feet tall with costume, 4-feet wide Fun Fact: The balloonheads are based on classic Parade designs from the 1940s.
AMERICANA SPHERES Rounding out the 2018 lineup are the new Americana Spheres. These patriotic balloons bring the colors of the flag to new heights. Balloon Dimensions: 14-feet wide Fun Fact: Originally conceived by legendary Macy’s Designer Manfred Bass in the 1980s
TRYCALOONS (A Macy’s Parade innovation featuring a hybrid tandem tricycle and balloon) BULLDOG Beware of dog! The Bulldog Trycaloon’s bark is as big as his bike. TOUGH GUY There’s been a jailbreak on the Parade route, and the Tough Guy Trycaloon is one inflatable character you don’t want to mess with.
NUTCRACKER Clara joins the title character of Tchaikovsky’s famous holiday ballet on a high-speed Trycaloon chase alongside the Mouse King. MOUSE KING The villainous Mouse King from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet pedals down Manhattan accompanied by one of his furry-tailed soldiers.
An estimated 3.5 million people were on hand for the 91st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, amid perfect blue-skies day. Many had staked out their place along the parade route by 4 am, bundling up in the 30-degree temperature, which thankfully warmed up when the parade got going and the sun streamed across Central Park.
Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette along with NBC TV’s Al Roker, surrounded by a few of the 1,000 clowns and 10,000 participants, to cut the ribbon.
New this year: a Singing Christmas Tree populated with 125 Macy’s employees, which Gennette said would become a new tradition for the parade.
Fan favorites include the population of giant character balloons, now expanded to 17 with the addition this year of four giant characters: Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen,” Illumination presents Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, Jett from Super Wings™ and PAW Patrol, plus 28 legacy balloons, balloonicles, balloonheads and trycaloons.
The balloon line-up also featured the return of Harold the Baseball Player, a legacy Macy’s character prominently featured in Twentieth Century Fox’s iconic holiday film classic “Miracle on 34th Street.” In celebration of the film’s 70th anniversary, the Harold heritage balloon was for this year’s Parade, painted in hues of black, white and grey, to look exactly as it did on-screen during a memorable scene in the 1947 film. In addition to Harold, the famed spokesduck, the Aflac Duck, debuted as an all-new balloonicle (a Macy’s Parade innovation of hybrid cold-air balloon and vehicle).
Returning giant balloon characters included Angry Birds’ Red; Charlie Brown; Diary of a Wimpy Kid®; Sinclair’s Dino®; the Elf on the Shelf®; Hello Kitty®; Ice Age’s Scrat and His Acorn; Pikachu™; Pillsbury Doughboy™; Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger; Ronald McDonald®; SpongeBob SquarePants; and DreamWorks’ Trolls.
The balloons became a feature of the Macy’s parade after just the first three years of the parade, which began in 1924 by some Macy’s employees, who brought live animals. But by 1927, the live animals were considered a nuisance and replaced (except for New York City mounted police, followed by a team of sanitation workers who receive as loud a cheer) by the giant balloons, one of the famous unique features of the parade.
This year five new floats debuted including Everyone’s Favorite Bake Shop by Entenmann’s® (Sara Evans), Harvest in the Valley by Green Giant® (Lauren Alaina), Parade Day Mischief by Sour Patch Kids® Candy (Nicky Jam), Shimmer and Shine by Nickelodeon (Jojo Siwa) and Universal Playground by Sprout® (Angelica Hale).
The returning float roster, for a total of 26 floats, which also carry the celebrities and entertainers, included 1-2-3 Sesame Street by Sesame Street (Leslie Odom Jr. and the cast and Muppets of “Sesame Street“); The Aloha Spirit by King’s Hawaiian (Goo Goo Dolls), Big Apple by N.Y. Daily News (Bebe Rexha); Big City Cheer! by Spirit of America Productions (Miss America 2018 Cara Mund); Building a Better World by Girl Scouts of the USA (Andra Day and Common); The Colonel’s Road Trip to NYC by Kentucky Fried Chicken (Dustin Lynch); The Cranberry Cooperative by Ocean Spray®; Deck the Halls by Balsam Hill® (Olivia Holt); Discover Adventure! by Build-A-Bear (Sabrina Carpenter); Frozen Fall Fun by Discover®/NHL (Wyclef Jean) and NHL Hockey Hall of Famers Ray Bourque & Bryan Trottier); Fun House by Krazy Glue® (Flo Rida); Heartwarming Holiday Countdown by Hallmark Channel (98 Degrees); It’s All Rock & Roll by Gibson Brands (Jimmy Fallon & The Roots); Mount Rushmore’s American Pride by South Dakota Department of Tourism (Smokey Robinson); On The Roll Again by Homewood Suites by Hilton® (Andy Grammer); Santa’s Sleigh; Snoopy’s Doghouse by Peanuts Worldwide; Stirrin’ Up Sweet Sensations by Domino® Sugar (Cam); Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Nickelodeon (Kat Graham); and Tom Turkey featuring Bravo’s Top Chef (Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio).
Designed and created by the incredible artists of Macy’s Parade Studio, which include carpenters, painters, animators, sculptors, metal fabricators, scenic/costume designers and electricians, this year’s line-up of floats sets an unparalleled stage for entertainment. The painstaking process of creating a Macy’s Parade float is both a creative and technical endeavor. Macy’s Parade floats are often three-stories tall and several lanes of traffic wide, but must collapse to no more than 12½-feet tall and 8-feet wide in order to travel safely from the New Jersey home of the Parade Studio, to the Manhattan starting line via the Lincoln Tunnel each Thanksgiving eve. These creations are not only works of art, but also engineering marvels.
Marching bands bring a national excitement and hometown pride to the streets of the Big Apple, not to mention the musical beat to the holiday revelry. The 12 performance ensembles that marched this year came from as far as Palmer, Alaska (Colony High School), and as near as Trumbull, Conn. (Trumbull High School), and also included Davis High School (Kaysville, Utah), Rosemount High School (Rosemount, Minn.), West Harrison High School (Gulfport, Miss.), Rockford High School (Rockford, Mich.), Ohio University (Athens, Ohio), Nation Ford High School (Fort Mill, S.C.), Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas), the United States Air Force Band and Honor Guard, Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States) and the NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY).
Specialty Parade entertainment always provides an exciting and sometimes humorous look at the nation’s finest performance groups. Returning to the line-up this year are the dancers and cheerleaders of Spirit of America Dance Stars and Spirit of America Cheer. These groups combined feature more than 1,000 of the nation’s very best performers recruited from small towns and big cities.
Adding to the dance floor revelry was 34th & Phunk, a special group commissioned and produced by Macy’s with organizers from the United States Tournament of Dance. Choreographed by the legendary artist Willdabeast Adams and acclaimed dancer Janelle Ginestra, 34th & Phunk will be a one-of-a-kind hip-hop dance crew featuring performers of all ages and from all walks of life, who have a passion for dance and precision movement. The talented kids of Camp Broadway this year auditioned and were selected dancers/singers from military bases around the nation and paid tribute to America with their performance.
Rounding out the performance group list are the zany Red Hot Mamas (Post Falls, Idaho) who delivered their signature humorous take on the holiday season, along with the whimsical stars of the Big Apple Circus (New York, NY).
Iconic symbols of thanksgiving – The giant turkey, Pilgrim Man and women lead the parade. Finally, the most stupendous float of all: Santa Claus with his elves and reindeer ushering in Christmas. A shout turns into a rolling cheer, children and parents scream and raise their arms as he passes.
The Macy’s Parade has become the launch for the winter holiday season not just for New Yorkers, but for the entire nation. The television broadcast is watched by some 50 million.
NEW YORK –This Thanksgiving, a magical march returns to the streets of New York City and to homes across the U.S. as the 91st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® kicks off the holiday season with its signature spectacle of wonder. On Thursday, Nov. 23 (9 a.m.-noon in all time zones), the streets of Manhattan fill with the sound of “Let’s Have a Parade!” Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker of NBC’s “Today” will host the broadcast. Telemundo will simulcast the parade in Spanish, with the event hosted by Carlos Ponce, Jessica Carrillo and Karim Mendiburu.
But the night before, the streets around the Museum of Natural History on Central Park West are literally flooded with hundreds of thousands of people coming to delight in seeing the massive balloons – 17 giant character balloons and 28 legacy balloons, balloonides, balloonheads and trycaloons, being inflated by hundreds of volunteers.
New York City Mayor Bill DiBlasio spoke of how iconic the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and the Balloon Inflation events have become, and how the parade not only kicks off the holiday season for the city, but the entire nation.
“It’s an example of what makes New York City great – hundreds of thousands here tonight, tomorrow millions, and it comes off flawlessly,” Mayor DiBlasio said. “It takes a lot of work, and working together. New York City is a beacon to the world – we have people of every background, faith, nationality, in harmony, giving thanks together.
“This is a beautiful event that happens because we’re safe. Every year, the NYPD does more to keep us safe. We live in a dangerous world. We have the strongest anti-terrorism capacity of any police force in thecountry. You will see a lot of officers so people feel good, confident, calm.
“There has been no credible or specific threat against New York or the parade. But we have precautions in place. Everyone needs to help: if you see something, say something.”
Acknowledging the terror attack that took place on Halloween in which 8 people lost their lives, he said, “That attack was an attempt to under our values, our democracy. It failed. Everyone is out, enjoying this great celebration. It is important to show how it failed.
NYPD commissioner James O’Neill said that there will be 36,000 police out on the streets, criticial response teams, mounted police, long-gun teams. “This is the reality of 2017. We have 2000 more officers on patrol than last year.”
Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette noted that the parade started almost a century ago by employees who wanted to do something for their families and local people. For the 91st edition, the line-up will feature 17 giant character balloons; 28 legacy balloons, balloonicles, balloonheads and trycaloons; 26 floats; 1,100 cheerleaders and dancers; more than 1,000 clowns; 12 marching bands; and 6 performance groups.
A special float by Delta Air Lines will debut to commemorate the season of togetherness with the gift of song, as more than 125 Macy’s employees gather to form a one-of-a-kind cross-generational choir aboard the Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree.
“It’s the beginning of a new tradition.” Gennette said.
The star power on parade will once again feature some of the nation’s most riveting performers. Taking to the streets of New York City on board one of Macy’s signature floating stages and thrilling the nation with their performances at Herald Square will be 98 Degrees, Lauren Alaina, Cam, Sabrina Carpenter, Andra Day & Common, Sara Evans, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Flo Rida, Goo Goo Dolls, Kat Graham, Andy Grammer, Angelica Hale, Olivia Holt, Nicky Jam, Wyclef Jean, Bravo’s Top Chef stars Padma Lakshmi & Tom Colicchio, Dustin Lynch, Miss America 2018 Cara Mund, Leslie Odom Jr. and the cast & Muppets of Sesame Street, Bebe Rexha, Smokey Robinson, Jojo Siwa and more.
On 34th Street, Broadway’s best shows will take a star turn in front of Macy’s famed flagship with special performances from the casts of “Anastasia,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Once On This Island” and “SpongeBob SquarePants – The Broadway Musical.” In addition, the show-stopping Radio City Rockettes® will bring their signature high-kicking magic to Herald Square.
“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of our great holiday traditions and we’re thrilled to be able to once again bring the pageantry and spectacle to viewers across the country,” said Doug Vaughan, Executive Vice President, Special Programs and Late Night, NBC Entertainment. “We can’t wait to see all the balloons, floats and high-end entertainment that have become such an integral part of this wonderful event.”
“For more than 90 years, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has signaled the start of the holiday season for millions of families. We are thrilled to once again come together as a nation to give this gift of joy and wonder to all,” said Susan Tercero, group vice-president of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She added, “Our incredible team has planned a fantastic spectacle featuring an amazing line-up of giant character balloons, floats of fantasy, the nation’s best marching bands and performance groups, a dazzling array of musical artists, all coming together to herald the arrival of the one-and-only Santa Claus.”
The Macy’s Parade is always a unique multi-level, magical march that provides spectators with different experiences, whether they watch it on television with friends and family or scout the perfect spot on the route to watch it unfold live. To give fans another unique viewing opportunity, Macy’s, along with NBCUniversal and Verizon will once again take viewers closer to the magic via up close and personal views of the event through a 360-degree livestream of the parade on Verizon’s YouTube page. The stream, found at www.youtube.com/verizon, will be synced with the start of the Parade.
Flying Icons
Taking flight on Turkey Day will be the Parade’s signature giant character helium balloons. Since their introduction in 1927, these giants of the sky have featured some of the world’s most beloved characters. This year four giant characters will debut, including Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen,” Illumination presents Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, Jett from Super Wings™ and PAW Patrol®.
The balloon line-up will also feature the return of Harold the Baseball Player, a legacy Macy’s character prominently featured in Twentieth Century Fox’s iconic holiday film classic “Miracle on 34th Street.” In celebration of the film’s 70th anniversary, the Harold heritage balloon has been recreated for this year’s Parade, painted in hues of black, white and grey, to look exactly as it did on-screen during a memorable scene in the 1947 film. In addition to Harold, the famed spokesduck, the Aflac Duck, will debut as an all-new balloonicle (a Macy’s Parade innovation of hybrid cold-air balloon and vehicle) and is sure to have fans quacking with joy and laughter down the route.
Returning giant balloon characters include Angry Birds’ Red; Charlie Brown; Diary of a Wimpy Kid®; Sinclair’s Dino®; the Elf on the Shelf®; Hello Kitty®; Ice Age’s Scrat and His Acorn; Pikachu™; Pillsbury Doughboy™; Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger; Ronald McDonald®; SpongeBob SquarePants; and DreamWorks’ Trolls.
Parade Floats
Floating down the route this Thanksgiving, the Parade’s signature floats transport spectators to worlds of wonder. Designed and created by the incredible artists of Macy’s Parade Studio, which include carpenters, painters, animators, sculptors, metal fabricators, scenic/costume designers and electricians, this year’s line-up of floats sets an unparalleled stage for entertainment. The painstaking process of creating a Macy’s Parade float is both a creative and technical endeavor. Macy’s Parade floats are often three-stories tall and several lanes of traffic wide, but must collapse to no more than 12½-feet tall and 8-feet wide in order to travel safely from the New Jersey home of the Parade Studio, to the Manhattan starting line via the Lincoln Tunnel each Thanksgiving eve. These creations are not only works of art, but also engineering marvels.
This year five new floats will debut including Everyone’s Favorite Bake Shop by Entenmann’s® (Sara Evans), Harvest in the Valley by Green Giant® (Lauren Alaina), Parade Day Mischief by Sour Patch Kids® Candy (Nicky Jam), Shimmer and Shine by Nickelodeon (Jojo Siwa) and Universal Playground by Sprout® (Angelica Hale).
The returning float roster includes 1-2-3 Sesame Street by Sesame Street (Leslie Odom Jr. and the cast and Muppets of “Sesame Street“); The Aloha Spirit by King’s Hawaiian (Goo Goo Dolls), Big Apple by N.Y. Daily News (Bebe Rexha); Big City Cheer! by Spirit of America Productions (Miss America 2018 Cara Mund); Building a Better World by Girl Scouts of the USA (Andra Day and Common); The Colonel’s Road Trip to NYC by Kentucky Fried Chicken (Dustin Lynch); The Cranberry Cooperative by Ocean Spray®; Deck the Halls by Balsam Hill® (Olivia Holt); Discover Adventure! by Build-A-Bear (Sabrina Carpenter); Frozen Fall Fun by Discover®/NHL (Wyclef Jean) and NHL Hockey Hall of Famers Ray Bourque & Bryan Trottier); Fun House by Krazy Glue® (Flo Rida); Heartwarming Holiday Countdown by Hallmark Channel (98 Degrees); It’s All Rock & Roll by Gibson Brands (Jimmy Fallon & The Roots); Mount Rushmore’s American Pride by South Dakota Department of Tourism (Smokey Robinson); On The Roll Again by Homewood Suites by Hilton® (Andy Grammer); Santa’s Sleigh; Snoopy’s Doghouse by Peanuts Worldwide; Stirrin’ Up Sweet Sensations by Domino® Sugar (Cam); Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Nickelodeon (Kat Graham); and Tom Turkey featuring Bravo’s Top Chef (Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio).
Drum Roll, Please…
Marching bands are a central piece of the Thanksgiving delights, bringing national excitement and hometown pride to the streets of the Big Apple, not to mention the musical beat to the holiday revelry. Twelve performance ensembles will take up the call of the baton and march down the streets of Manhattan. This year’s bands include Colony High School (Palmer, Alaska), Davis High School (Kaysville, Utah), Rosemount High School (Rosemount, Minn.), West Harrison High School (Gulfport, Miss.), Rockford High School (Rockford, Mich.), Ohio University (Athens, Ohio), Nation Ford High School (Fort Mill, S.C.), Trumbull High School (Trumbull, Conn.), Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas), the United States Air Force Band and Honor Guard, Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States) and the NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY).
Specialty Parade entertainment always promises a unique, exciting, and sometimes humorous look at the nation’s finest performance groups. Returning to the line-up this year are the dancers and cheerleaders of Spirit of America Dance Stars and Spirit of America Cheer. These groups combined feature more than 1,000 of the nation’s very best performers recruited from small towns and big cities. Days before Thanksgiving, they will gather for the first time in NYC, ahead of their once-in-a-lifetime national spotlight. Adding to the dance floor revelry will be 34th & Phunk, a special group commissioned and produced by Macy’s with organizers from the United States Tournament of Dance. Choreographed by the legendary artist Willdabeast Adams and acclaimed dancer Janelle Ginestra, 34th & Phunk will be a one-of-a-kind hip-hop dance crew featuring performers of all ages and from all walks of life, who have a passion for dance and precision movement. Bringing a Broadway flair to the spectacle will be the talented kids of Camp Broadway, who this year have auditioned and selected dancers/singers from military bases around the nation, and who will pay tribute to America with their performance. Rounding out the performance group list are the zany Red Hot Mamas (Post Falls, Idaho) who will deliver their signature humorous take on the holiday season, along with the whimsical stars of the Big Apple Circus (New York, NY).
Interactive Fun
This year the magic of Macy’s iconic balloons and Parade artistry will head south for the winter to give fans an up close and personal experience for the holidays. Starting on Saturday, Nov. 18, Universal Orlando Resort’s destination-wide Holidays celebration begins, featuring the all-new “Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s.” This one-of-a-kind experience is where merry and mayhem mesh to create a fantastic treat for park guests that features more than 15 incredibly detailed floats, colorful stilt-walkers and characters, and a specially created cast of all new Macy’s balloons that you can’t see anywhere else. Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s will run daily from Nov. 18 through Jan. 6.
The 91st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will begin at 9 a.m. from 77th Street and Central Park West. The procession will march to Columbus Circle, turn onto Central Park South and march down 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas. At 34th Street, the Parade will make its final turn west and end at 7th Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square. “A Holiday Treat for Children Everywhere” has been the guiding motto of this annual tradition for more than nine decades and is the mandate that continues to this day.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast is produced by the Emmy Award-winning Brad Lachman Productions. Brad Lachman serves as executive producer, Bill Bracken will co-executive produce and Ryan Polito directs.
For more information on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, visit www.macys.com/parade or call the Parade hotline at 212-494-4495. Follow @macys on various social networks and join the conversation using #MacysParade.
