Picture this: It’s 1924. Elephants and donkeys are paraded down the streets of New York City, the sound of band music cuts through the crowd and all is well. A group of Macy’s employees watch the parade and ask their company to sponsor the parade in subsequent years. Fast forward one year and the first Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade is a hit!  While the parade had humble beginnings, today it has evolved into one of the biggest events of the year. 

For some, the parade is synonymous with family gatherings and holiday cheer. The parade is an extremely kid-friendly event, but adults too can find wonder and joy in the spectacular display. 

Senior Baylie Novak explained, “Every Thanksgiving morning we put it on and watch it as a family while making food. It has become a tradition for us.”

This year will be the 95th annual parade, and it is sure to be a big one. The lineup includes 30 big balloon floats, seven balloonicles, 31 floats, 19 performers, 10 marching bands, a multitude of clowns and five performing groups. Balloonicles are a new addition this year. Essentially, they are large floats moved by bicycle with a performer driving the bicycle. And of course, the main attraction, Santa, will make an appearance. Certainly, the 95th celebration is a far cry from the animals and music of the first parade. 

Novak says she is especially looking forward to seeing the floats and all of the new additions. 

Naturally, there is a plethora of behind-the-scenes work to pull off the event. The Macy’s Parade Studio prepares all year for the big day. Constructing every part of the production requires thousands of people and over 50,000 hours of labor. 

The NBC network is expecting millions of people to tune in this year. It will be televised on NBC on Thursday, November 25, 2021, at 9 a.m. in all time zones. 

Those considering attending in-person should be aware that public viewing is only available on certain parts of the route. Central Park West and 6th Avenue offer the best options for the public to watch. 

However, Senior Ava Robinson warns that attending the parade in person is “not nearly as glamorous as it seems.” She said her experience of attending in person was “just okay.” She prefers watching on TV and said that there was a 5-10 minute wait time between each part of the parade – something which TV viewers may not know.

Regardless of how families decide to watch, enjoy this year’s offerings and bring this spirited event into Thanksgiving celebrations!

Tune in on Thanksgiving Day at 9 a.m. to watch the magic happen!