MACY’S FAMED GIANT CHARACTER HELIUM BALLOONS TAKE FLIGHT FOR THE 87TH ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE®
FROM DRILL TEAMS TO DRUMMERS, THE NATION’S TOP BANDS AND PERFORMANCE GROUPS WILL GET THE CROWD EXCITED AS THE 87TH ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE® BRINGS IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON
THE 87TH ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE® FILLS THE STREETS WITH MAGICAL FLOATING STAGES
THE 87TH ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE® MARKS THE START OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH THE NATION’S MOST BELOVED SPECTACLE, FEATURING GIANT HELIUM BALLOONS, FLOATS OF WONDER, PULSE-POUNDING MARCHING BANDS, ENGAGING PERFORMANCE GROUPS, CELEBRITY APPEARANCES, AND THE ONE-AND-ONLY SANTA CLAUS
The nation’s most beloved spectacle returns for another year of magic as the 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® kicks off the holiday season. On Thursday, Nov. 28 at 9 a.m., more than 8,000 participants will set down the streets of Manhattan at the sound of the time honored words Let’s Have a Parade™. Against a backdrop of more than 3.5 million spectators and more than 50 million viewers nationwide, the Macy’s Parade’s signature elements including its giant balloons, floats of fantasy, performers and the one-and-only Santa Claus, will ring in the holiday season with an unrivaled celebration.
From its modest beginnings in 1924 with only about a dozen elements to the grand spectacular we know today, the Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® lineup unfolds each year with breathtaking pageantry. This year the lineup of wonder features 15 giant character balloons; 37 large- scale, novelty/ornament balloons, balloonicles, balloonheads and trycaloons; 30 floats; 1,600 cheerleaders and dancers; 900 clowns; 11 marching bands; and a host of celebrity performers.
“I’m pretty sure the magicians at Macy’s Parade Studio have once again made it onto Santa’s nice list,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “As America’s best high school and college marching bands, hundreds of dancers, cheerleaders, clowns, and balloon handlers make their way down the streets of New York for our 87th march, they will be joined by four brand new giant character balloons, five new intricately designed floats and one spinning dreidel. These new entries join the already stellar grouping of balloons, floats, performers and adorable kids that will once again make Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade the perfect way for everyone to begin their Thanksgiving holiday.”
Each Thanksgiving morning, as part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a special group is invited to join Kule to lead the Parade down the streets of Manhattan. Often these groups feature exceptional individuals who are making a contribution to the city or nation. This year, students from FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), along with specially-created robots designed by the selected students, will help kick off the march. FIRST is a nationwide organization that aims to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders by building skills through a mentor-based program.
Enhancing the Parade’s signature entertainment will be the world-famous Radio City Rockettes® helping to kick-off the holidays, along with performances from Broadway’s best musicals including “Matilda,” “Motown” and more. In addition, the first hour of the national broadcast will feature a special appearance by Carrie Underwood and members of the cast of NBC’s “The Sound of Music Live!”
The 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will step-off at 77th Street and Central Park West. The procession will travel down to Columbus Circle, turn onto Central Park South and march down via 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas to 34th Street. At 34th Street, the Parade will make its final turn west and end at 7th Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square.
No Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade would be complete without star power coming from all sectors of the entertainment arena. Joining the festivities this year are the Big Apple Circus; Kristin Chenoweth; Cherokee National Youth Choir; Chica and the gang from Sprout; Cirque du Soleil®; Gavin DeGraw; Brett Eldredge; Fall Out Boy; Jimmy Fallon and The Roots with the cast of “Sesame Street”; Fifth Harmony; Florida Georgia Line; Goo Goo Dolls; Ariana Grande; Jack Hannah; Megan Hilty; Joan Jett and the Blackhearts; Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings; Sandra Lee; Cher Lloyd; Austin Mahone; Mannheim Steamroller; Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri; NFL legends Joe Namath, Bart Oates, Amani Toomer and Hines Ward; NHL legends Cam Neely and Mike Richter; Kellie Pickler; The Robertson family from A&E®’s hit series “Duck Dynasty®”; Debby Ryan; Richard Simmons; and The Summer Set.
Nationwide, Thanksgiving Day celebrations are never complete without tuning in to the national broadcast of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. Regularly one of the nation’s most viewed events, millions of families tune in every year to watch the revelry unfold. This year, the TODAY Show’s Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie will anchor the three-hour broadcast from 9 a.m. – Noon in all time zones. Enhancing the Parade’s signature entertainment will be the world-famous Radio City Rockettes® helping to kick-off the holidays, along with performances from Broadway’s best musicals including “Matilda,” “Motown,” and more. In addition, the first hour of the national broadcast will feature a special appearance by Carrie Underwood and members of the cast of NBC’s “The Sound of Music Live!”
BALLOON GIANTS SOAR
Let them take flight! On Thanksgiving Day, a new cast of balloon characters and some returning favorites will soar in the 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. From a beloved beagle to a fearsome dragon, the Parade’s signature line-up of balloons are set to thrill millions of spectators.
The Parade’s signature giant character balloons are one of the procession’s most famous elements, each year drawing millions of cheers from spectators young and old. Joining the lineup this year are two returning favorites with brand new designs, and two never-before-seen characters set to take flight this Thanksgiving. Making their Thanksgiving Day debuts are pop culture sensations Adventure Time with Finn and Jake; the world-famous beagle Snoopy with his pal Woodstock; the eternal undersea optimist SpongeBob SquarePants; and the loveable night fury dragon Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon.”
Set to mark the 75th Anniversary of The Wizard of OZ™, a 47-foot tall, giant hot air balloon emblazoned with the portraits of the characters from the classic film, will glide down the route carrying the Wizard of Oz™ himself! Along for the ride below will be Dorothy™ and special balloonhead characters of the Scarecrow™, Tin Man™, Cowardly Lion™ and the Wicked Witch of the West™. In addition, to celebrate the first time in the Parade’s history that Thanksgiving falls on the first night of Hanukkah, a special spinning dreidel balloonicle will delight spectators as it spins its way down the route.
Rounding out the ballooning line-up are returning favorites including Buzz Lightyear; Diary of A Wimpy Kid®; The Elf on the Shelf®; Hello Kitty®; Julius; Papa Smurf; Pikachu; Pillsbury Doughboy®; Ronald McDonald®; Sonic the Hedgehog™ ; and Spider-Man®. Continue reading