On a cold and rainy day, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off on the Upper West Side, starting at 77th Street and Central Park West. The parade traveled through the heart of Manhattan, winding its way around Columbus Circle, then heading down Sixth Avenue before finally reaching Macy’s Herald Square. The parade’s route stretched over 2.5 miles, captivating the 3.5 million people gathered along the route. More than 30 million viewers across the world watched from home, catching the parade’s broadcast on NBC, where TODAY hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie provided commentary. The parade featured 28 exciting entertainers, 11 musical marching bands, 28 clown crews, and 11 performance groups
The parade introduced six new balloons this year, including a brand-new Spider-Man balloon inspired by the art of comic book legend John Romita Sr. Alongside Spider-Man were Minnie Mouse, Extraordinary Noorah & The Elf on the Shelf, Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse, Goku from Dragon Ball, and Marshall from PAW Patrol. In total, there were 22 giant balloons.
The 2024 parade also saw the introduction of several new floats including “Candy Cosmos” by Haribo, “Pasta Knight” by Rao’s Homemade, “Wondrous World of Wildlife” by The Bronx Zoo, and “Wednesday’s Feast” by Netflix. In total, there were 34 floats.
This year’s parade was also notable for the changes in production. For the first time in over 30 years, the parade was produced by Silent House, the company responsible for parts of the Super Bowl halftime show. Silent House’s involvement brought a fresh perspective, introducing more cameras that focused on the audience. The spokeswoman for Silent House — which produced part of the halftime performance for this year’s Super Bowl — said it aimed to make viewers feel as if they were standing and cheering alongside the 3.5 million or so people watching in person.
Celebrity appearances are another key feature of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Stars like Jennifer Hudson, Lea Salonga, Idina Menzel, and T-Pain graced the stage, bringing their vocal talents to the parade’s various performances. Broadway performers from shows like Death Becomes Her and Hell’s Kitchen also showcased their skills, adding a Broadway flair to the festivities. Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba in the new film adaption of Wicked, gave a giant bouquet to Hoda Kotb at the parade. “These flowers are for you because I know that this is the last Thanksgiving parade you’re doing. And I wanted to celebrate that and say we love you and thank you for all the hard work you’ve done,” she said.
The full lineup of celebrities who performed or appeared on floats included Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue, Billy Porter, Loud Luxury, Cynthia Erivo, Cole Escola, Bishop Briggs, Kylie Cantrall, Chloë, Dan + Shay, Dasha, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Coco Jones, Walker Hayes, Ariana Madix, Joey McIntyre, Idina Menzel, Natti Natasha, T-Pain, Rachel Platten, Lea Salonga, The Temptations, War, The War and Treaty, Alex Warren, Sebastián Yatra, Charli D’Amelio, and ballet stars Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia.
The parade also included performances by athletes, with members of the New York Liberty, the WNBA champions, making an appearance alongside their mascot, Ellie the Elephant. As always, the grand finale featured Santa Claus on his massive sleigh, the largest float in the parade, which is 60 feet long and 22 feet wide.
During the pre-parade inflation event, the Bluey balloon, a 51-foot-long balloon of the popular children’s cartoon character, suffered a tear in one of its paws, causing a loud pop and a gust of air to escape. Spectators at the event were startled by the noise, but the damage was quickly repaired. The Bluey balloon made a full recovery and was able to soar through the streets of Manhattan on parade day.
While the parade was filled with joy and excitement, there were a few other disruptions. Among the unseen preparations include rotating the 2 1/2 miles of traffic lights flush to the sidewalk so that the balloons have a clear path, as noted by Kathleen Wright, the director of production operations for Macy’s Studio.
A group of about 25 pro-Palestinian protesters briefly blocked part of the parade route near 55th Street and Sixth Avenue. The protestors were quickly removed by the New York Police Department, ensuring that the parade continued without further interruption. As protesters sat down in the middle of the street, a banner behind them read “Free Palestine.” Mayor Eric Adams had warned against protesters disrupting the route ahead of the event. “I really want to take the moment to tell those grinches that believe they’re going to disrupt the parade. It’s not going to happen. Just as we responded last year, we’re going to be on top of those who attempt to interrupt the parade in any way possible,” Adams said in a pre-parade briefing.
Despite these incidents and the challenges of the weather, the parade was a great way to kick off the holiday season. It’s a long-standing American tradition that can help bring a little more joy to Thanksgiving and the beauty of coming together to celebrate.
