Beloved characters like Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants will take to the skies over New York on Thursday as marching bands parade through the city’s streets once again to kick off the Christmas holidays with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The parade starts on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and runs through Central Park before large crowds in the streets and millions of people watching on television from all over the country, before ending in front of the iconic Macy’s store on the 34th street.
Among the big stars who will participate will be Cher, who has just released her first Christmas album. The singer and actress, who has Oscars, Emmys and Grammys under her belt, will occupy a privileged place: she will perform just before the arrival of Santa Claus, which marks the end of the event.
The list of celebrities and musical groups that will take part in the parade includes Jon Batiste, Bell Biv DeVoe, Brandy, Jessie James Decker, Pentatonix and Miss America 2023, Grace Stanke. There will also be performances by the casts of some Broadway shows.
Among the balloons debuting this year is Leo the lizard, a character from a Netflix movie, who measures more than 12.5 meters (40 feet) tall, as well as other veterans, such as SpongeBob SquarePants, at 13, 4 meters (44 feet).
Some people, like Snoopy, have been among the participants for many years, but this year’s balloon represents a new version of Snoopy Scout to mark the 50th anniversary of his first appearance in the Peanuts cartoons.
“It’s going to be a magical experience, an experience full of spectacle, full of entertainment, full of joy, full of celebration,” said Will Coss, executive producer of the parade.
The importance of the event is not only in the sky. On the asphalt there will be more than two dozen floats among which marching bands from all over the country and several groups of clowns will march among the 8,000 participants, the organizers said.
This will be the 97th time the parade has taken to the city streets since 1924.
The broadcast, hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker of “Today,” airs on NBC.
