Everything to Know About the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is just around the corner, drawing millions of eyes to watch the festivities on TV and thousands of people to the streets of New York to see the spectacle live.

Celebrating its 97th anniversary, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is sure to entertain with the return of fancy floats, star-studded shows and oversized balloons along the entire route until it ends on Manhattan’s famed 34th Street.

While fan favorites like SpongeBob SquarePants, Ronald McDonald and Diary of a Wimpy Kid are all confirmed to take to the skies again, new balloons will also make their debut! In addition, six “balloonicles” (hybrid balloon vehicles) are also being prepared to run along the route.

Joining them on wheels are the ceremonial vehicles (28 to be exact) consisting of hundreds of different sets, structural elements and over ½ mile of hand-stitched skirts and tassels that wrap each ride in the parade. (Fun fact: Santa’s sleigh — the largest craft in the parade — is 3.5 stories tall and 60 feet long!)

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — including how to watch, who’s performing and everything in between.

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Who is hosting the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker from Today are returning to host the Emmy Awards. Roker first hosted the parade in 1995 along with Willard Scott and Katie Couric, while Guthrie and Kotb first hosted in 2012 and 2018, respectively.

Who is performing in the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

The Rockettes perform in the 2022 Macy’s Day Parade for Thanksgiving Cara Howe/NBC

Each year, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade invites some of the biggest names in music to perform a few songs and holiday hits. Last year’s line-up did not disappoint, with unforgettable performances by Gloria Estefan, Paula Abdul and Jimmy Fallon and The Roots.

This year, the parade has another star-studded line-up – with Cher as the headliner. The “Pop Goddess” is joined at the festivities by Grammy winner Jon Batiste, Brandy, Bell Biv DeVoe, Chicago, En Vogue, ENHYPEN, and David Foster and Katharine McPhee.

Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, Jessie James Decker, Ashley Park, Pentatonix, Paul Russell, Amanda Shaw and Alex Smith and Manuel Turizo will also hit the streets of NYC. Also appearing will be US Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles and US Paralympic gold medalist Jessica Long.

Along with the singers and bands that dazzle the streets on rafts, Broadway’s best performers also perform stunning performances during the broadcast. This year Broadway will present & Juliet, Back to the Future: The Musical, How to dance in Ohio, Shit and Spamalotwith appearances by Josh Gad and Andrew Rannell from “Gutenberg! The Musical!”

As expected, the iconic Radio City Rockettes are returning to round off the theatrical performance.

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Will there be new balloons in the 2023 Macy’s Day Parade for Thanksgiving?

A Charlie Brown balloon is seen during the 90th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 24, 2016 in New York City. John Lamparski/Getty Images

That! This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will feature three new balloons: Beagle Scout Snoopy, Blue Cat & Chugs and Monkey D. Luffy.

However, Snoopy is no stranger to this holiday event. In fact, this will mark the 9th edition of the longest character balloon in the parade! Plus, it’s celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first appearance of the Beagle Scouts in Charles M. Schulz’s beloved comic strip.

Blue Cat & Chugs makes its parade debut, marking a major milestone in the event’s history! Cool Cats, a brand of storytelling characters with a worldwide community, is the first ever NFT character turned into a real-life parade balloon.

Finally, Monkey D. Luffy—the fearless leader of the Straw Hats from the acclaimed One Piece animated series—is ready to rise on Thanksgiving Day. This new balloon creation is painted with over 20 different colors and stands 50 feet tall (or as tall as a 5 story building)!

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Will there be any new vehicles in the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

Mariah Carey performs in the Macy’s Day Parade for Thanksgiving 2022. NBC

This year’s parade features 28 floats, with three brand new additions: Solo Stove’s Igniting Memories float, Brach’s Palace of Sweets float and the Warner Bros. float. Pictures The Deliciously Delectable World of Wonka.

The Igniting Memories hovercraft revolves around the Solo Stove Bonfire that sits atop a mountain structure, mimicking the warmth and comfort of camping in the wilderness. The custom-built trailer was made to fit on a raft with wheels, looking like it was towed to camp.

Bracho’s Palača slastica is a colossal treat! Premiering on Thanksgiving, this sweet structure features a rotating candy Christmas tree and a giant gingerbread house with stick decorations. (Fun fact: the largest candy stick on the float is 9,720 times the size of an actual Bracha candy stick!)

Preparations for the premiere Wonka this December, Warner Bros. Pictures is ramping up the excitement with the Wondrously Delectable World of Wonka float, which will make its debut on November 24th of this year. If there’s one bar for overindulging in sugar, it’s this one — with approximately 592,000 pieces of candy in light-up jars.

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When is the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

89th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Getty Images/FilmMagic/Mireya Acierto

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place on Thursday, November 24, 2023. While anyone can go to NYC to watch the festivities live, the parade is also scheduled to air on NBC and Peacock from 9 a.m. to noon in all time zones.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education