Everything to know about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is celebrating its 98th edition this year — that’s just two away from the big one! Before you gobble up your turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, gather your loved ones (and your pets) around the television to see your favorite celebrities and floats maneuver their way through the heart of New York City. Do you have questions about this year’s festivities? Well, we have answers! Read on for everything to know about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024.

Date and time
The event will officially kick off on Thursday, November 28, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock, and it will conclude at 12 p.m. ET/PT. If you miss any of the celebration (or simply want to watch it again), there will an encore presentation on NBC beginning at 2 p.m. ET/PT.

Parade hosts
The presenters of NBC’s “TODAY” — Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker — will once again join the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as hosts. Meanwhile, the ribbon cutter will be actress Alison Brie, the star of the Macy’s 2024 holiday campaign. She’s a former SAG Award winner as a part of the “Mad Men” ensemble.

Celebrity appearances
Some of the biggest names in entertainment will appear at the event, including all of the following: Bishop Briggs, Kylie Cantrall, Chlöe, 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, The War and Treaty, Alex Warren, Sebastián Yatra, Charli D’Amelio, Tiler Peck, Roman Mejia, Jonathan Bennett, Liza Colón-Zayas, Tom Kenny, Ginna Claire Mason, Sebastián Yatra, members the New York Liberty, the casts of Broadway shows “Death Becomes Her,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” and “The Outsiders,” plus the Radio City Rockettes.

Music lineup
Musicians from around the country will join the march through New York City, including bands from the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band (Amherst, MA), Avon Marching Black & Gold (Avon, IN), East Tennessee State University Marching Buccaneers (Johnson City, TN), Flower Mound High School Marching Band (Flower Mound, TX), The Lake Hamilton High School Marching Band (Hot Springs, AR), Sioux Falls Lincoln High School “Patriot” Marching Band (Sioux Falls, SD), The Majestic Marching Cardinals of Jonesboro High School (Morrow, GA), Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States), The Carolina Band of the University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC), “the Pride of West Virginia”-The Mountaineer Marching Band (Morgantown, WV), and the NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY).
Performance groups will include Circus Vazquez, Riverdance (North American Tour and Academy), AUM Dance Creations (Bridgewater, NJ), Black Haus Creative (New York, NY), BOSS Kids (New York, NY), Indigenous Enterprise (Phoenix, AZ), Kilgore College Rangerettes (Kilgore, TX), MOVE NYC (New York, NY), and 700 dancers and cheerleaders of Spirit of America Dance and  Spirit of America Cheer.

Parade Route
The parade will begin on Manhattan’s Upper West Side (at West 77th Street and Central Park West) and will march south down Central Park West for 18 blocks to Columbus Circle. It will then turn onto Central Park South and head east to 6th Avenue. Next, it will go west onto 34th Street to 7th Avenue. It all ends at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store (at 34th Street and 7th Avenue). The entire parade route is 2.5 miles long, and yes, there will be countless designated public viewing areas for those in the city.

Balloons and floats
Get your cameras ready, because the 2024 celebration will feature all of your favorite larger-than-life character balloons, plus these six new ones: Disney’s Minnie Mouse by The Walt Disney Company, Extraordinary Noorah & The Elf on the Shelf by The Lumistella Company, Gabby by DreamWorks Animation, Goku by Dragon Ball/Toei Animation, Marshall by Nickelodeon and Spin Master, and Spider-Man by Marvel.
And the six new floats will be: Candy Cosmos by Haribo, Dora’s Fantastical Rainforest by Nickelodeon & Paramount, Magic Meets the Seas by Disney Cruise Line, Pasta Knight by Rao’s Homemade, Masterfeast by Netflix, and Wondrous World of Wildlife by Bronx Zoo. New specialty units will include Strikes Again by Go Bowling!, The Garriage by Nickelodeon, and The Grannies Car from BBC Studios’ Bluey.

Official statements
Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events and Specials, NBCUniversal Media Group said: “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is second to none when it comes to world-class entertainment during the holiday season. It’s truly an honor to bring such an iconic event to our viewers year after year and partake in one of the country’s most beloved traditions.”
And parade executive producer Will Coss said: “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a beloved tradition that marks the beginning of the holiday season for millions of live spectators and viewers across the country. A dedicated team of artisans and production experts at Macy’s Studios works year-round to bring this experience to life. This year’s 98th Macy’s Parade will create awe with unforgettable character balloons, one-of-a-kind floats and the world-class entertainment only Macy’s can deliver.”

More info on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024
NBCUniversal tells us that this year’s lineup will be the largest yet with more than 5,000 volunteers, 17 featured character balloons, 22 floats, 15 heritage and novelty balloons, more than 700 clowns, 11 marching bands, 10 performance groups and music’s biggest stars, all welcoming Santa Claus and the holidays. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast is produced by Silent House Productions. Baz Halpin, Mark Bracco, Linda Gierahn serve as executive producers, and Sacha Mueller as co-executive producer. Last year’s broadcast brought in 30 million total viewers, a new ratings record. Will the 2024 edition draw even bigger numbers? Stay tuned.

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