Ian Patrick, FISM News
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be returning this year with crowds in the streets, a welcome addition compared to last year’s virtual-only event. This year also marks a particularly special year as the parade is celebrating its 95th annual parade.
However, due to New York City’s stringent COVID-19 policies, viewing areas will be managed by the city. Macy’s writes on their website that “the City of New York will manage public viewing locations & safety procedures along designated portions of the route with access details to be announced.”
Despite the smaller crowd size, this parade is shaping up to be a grand celebration for its 95th year with multiple guest singers and balloons appearing on the lineup list.
In the balloon category, the parade will feature returning favorites and classics like SpongeBob SquarePants, Snoopy, Ronald McDonald, Smokey Bear, Sonic the Hedgehog, and the Smurfs. There are also some notable new additions like Grogu from The Mandalorian, Ada Twist from the Netflix series with the same name, and Pikachu and Eevee from the Pokémon franchise which is also celebrating an anniversary at 25 years.
The guest list is also set to feature prominent entertainers and groups. It features recording artists such as Carrie Underwood, Foreigner, Rob Thomas and Nelly as well as musical theater greats like Kristen Chenoweth, known for her role as Glinda from Wicked.
The list also includes Tauren Wells, a prominent Christian singer/songwriter who has worked previously with artists like Chris Tomlin, Toby Mac and Kirk Franklin.
The parade has been a yearly American tradition since 1924 and has been televised on NBC since 1953. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was the first time ever that the parade had to ban any bystanders, although it was still viewable to an online audience.
The event can be watched on NBC and on its streaming network, Peacock, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.