Current:Home > StocksCharles H. Sloan-Balloons, bands, celebrities and Santa: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off -Clarity Finance Guides
Charles H. Sloan-Balloons, bands, celebrities and Santa: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off
Surpassing View
Date:2025-04-07 22:40:16
NEW YORK (AP) — Beloved characters like Snoopy and Charles H. SloanSpongeBob SquarePants will take to the skies above New York City Thursday while bands march along the streets below as the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ushers in the holiday season.
The parade starts on Manhattan’s upper west side and makes its way alongside Central Park in front of big crowds and a national television audience before ending up in front of Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street.
Among the big names performing is Cher, who just released her first Christmas album. The Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy Award-winner has a prime spot — performing just before the arrival of Santa Claus, which marks the end of the parade.
Other celebrities and musical groups taking part include Jon Batiste, Bell Biv DeVoe, Brandy, Jessie James Decker, Pentatonix and Miss America 2023 Grace Stanke. The parade also includes performances from the casts of some Broadway shows.
New balloons debuting this year include Leo the lizard, a character from a Netflix film, who is more than 40 feet (12.5 meters) tall, as well as ones that have been there before — like SpongeBob, coming in at 44 feet (13.4 meters).
Some characters, like Snoopy, have been in the parade for many years, but this year’s balloon is a new Beagle Scout Snoopy version — celebrating the 50th anniversary of his first appearance in the Peanuts comics.
It’s “going to be a magical experience, an experience full of spectacle, full of entertainment, full of joy, full of celebration,” said Will Coss, executive producer of the parade.
The parade isn’t just about what’s going on in the skies, though. At street level, the procession includes more than two dozen floats, interspersed with marching bands from around the country and a number of clown crews among the 8,000 people participating, organizers said.
This will be the 97th time the parade has been held since 1924.
The broadcast is hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker from “Today” and airs on NBC.
veryGood! (166)
Related
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- New York governor urges Biden to help state with migrant surge
- Ed Sheeran has an album coming 4 months after his last: What we know about 'Autumn Variations'
- Takeaways from first GOP debate, Prigozhin presumed dead after plane crash: 5 Things podcast
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Visitors to Lincoln Memorial say America has its flaws but see gains made since March on Washington
- California doctor lauded for COVID testing work pleads guilty to selling misbranded cosmetic drugs
- 'No chance of being fairly considered': DOJ sues Musk's SpaceX for refugee discrimination
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Europe is cracking down on Big Tech. This is what will change when you sign on
Ranking
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Ed Sheeran has an album coming 4 months after his last: What we know about 'Autumn Variations'
- Wild monkey seen roaming around Florida all week: Keep 'safe distance,' officials say
- India’s lunar rover goes down a ramp to the moon’s surface and takes a walk
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Indian Chandrayaan-3 moon mission makes history after landing near lunar south polar region
- How 'Back to the Future: The Musical' created a DeLorean that flies
- See you on Copacabana? Unusually balmy weather hits Brazil in a rare winter heat wave
Recommendation
Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
Prigozhin’s purported demise seems intended to send a clear message to potential Kremlin foes
'And Just Like That...' finale review: Season 2 ends with bizarre Kim Cattrall cameo
The Blind Side Producers Reveal How Much Money the Tuohys Really Made From Michael Oher Story
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
See Rudy Giuliani's mug shot after the embattled Trump ally turned himself in at Fulton County Jail
Fran Drescher says actors strike she’s leading is an ‘inflection point’ that goes beyond Hollywood
Why a weak Ruble is good for Russia's budget but not Putin's image