PUBLIC VIEWING WILL RETURN TO THE MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE

Today, Macy’s and the City of New York announced the return of the world-famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, set to march down the streets of New York City for its 95th annual holiday celebration.

Following last year’s made-for-television celebration, the official kick-off to the holiday season will take to the streets of Manhattan on Thursday, November 25th beginning at 9:00 a.m. On Thanksgiving Day, the spectacle will once again delight New York City spectators and a national television audience with its signature mix of giant character helium balloons, fantastic floats, marching bands, performance groups, celebrities, clowns, and the one-and-only Santa Claus.

The initial plan for this year’s parade includes the return of the marching band, cheer, and specialty group performances that were originally slated for the 2020 Parade will now take place this year live in New York City. Macy’s signature giant character balloons will once again be flown with 80-100 handlers, the flight management team, and its anchor vehicle. The return of Macy’s Balloon Inflation event is currently under consideration. More information will be announced in November.

Details on the exact public viewing locations including viewing maps, entry guidelines, and restrictions will be announced in November. Spectators are encouraged to check macys.com/parade in advance of their travel to the Parade route.

“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a New York City institution for more than nine decades, growing to become an icon of American pop culture as it annually marks the official start of the holiday season,” said Will Coss, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “For our 95th celebration, we are delighted to return this cherished holiday tradition closer to its original form as we march down the streets of New York City and into the homes of a nationwide audience.”

“We are thrilled to welcome back in its full form the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a world-renowned celebration that ushers in the magic of being in New York City during the holiday season,” added New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We applaud Macy’s work to creatively continue this beloved tradition last year and look forward to welcoming back Parade watchers to experience it safely, live, and in-person this November.”

To once again safely produce the annual Thanksgiving Day celebration, Macy’s partnered closely with the City and State of New York to create an event production plan that would ensure health and safety practices are aligned with current CDC guidelines, as well as local and state government protocols.

Following the successful live audience production of this year’s Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks and the safe production of last year’s Parade celebration, Macy’s along with its government agency and health partners will continue to monitor evolving health trends and will be ready to implement contingency plans should conditions warrant.

All volunteer participants and staff this year will need to be vaccinated and will be asked to wear face coverings and additional protective equipment, as warranted by their role. As appropriate, exceptions may include singers, dancers, and musicians performing down the route or for the national broadcast. Macy’s will also implement a reduction in the overall number of participants of between 10 to 20 percent (approximately 800 to 1,600 participants).

The 95th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air nationwide on NBC-TV, Thursday, November 25th from 9:00 a.m. to noon, in all time zones.