November 28th 2024.
The iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kept its tradition alive as it celebrated its second century on a rainy Thursday in New York City. Despite the downpour and a brief interruption caused by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, the parade marched, soared, and roared on. The New York City police reported the arrest of 21 individuals who had jumped barricades and sat on the parade route with Palestinian flags and a banner reading “Don’t Celebrate Genocide”. As the giant Ronald McDonald balloon approached, they chanted “Free, free Palestine!” This was not the first time that the parade had been disrupted by those protesting against Israel's actions in Gaza, as a similar incident had occurred last year.
The rainy weather added a unique touch to the festivities, with ponchos and umbrellas becoming a part of the parade experience alongside the usual giant balloons, floats, and star-studded performances. This year's parade featured new additions such as Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, floats inspired by the zoo and pasta, and a tribute to New York's famous coffee and bagels. The lineup also included renowned performers like Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel, and Kylie Minogue, among others. It was a stark contrast to the parade's first edition 100 years ago, which showcased floats depicting popular fairy tales.
However, some elements have remained unchanged over the years, such as the presence of marching bands and clowns, followed by the grand finale of Santa Claus ushering in the holiday season. This year's parade had a total of 17 giant character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands from different states, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups, and award-winning singers and actors. The WNBA champions, New York Liberty, also made an appearance.
The parade also featured notable personalities like reality TV star Ariana Madix, rapper T-Pain, country duo Dan + Shay, and Broadway veteran Lea Salonga, among others. One of the new floats was dedicated to the Rao's food brand and was designed to resemble a battle between a knight and a dragon made entirely of pasta. Another float celebrated the 125th anniversary of the Bronx Zoo, with life-like representations of a tiger, giraffe, zebra, and gorilla.
Will Coss, the executive producer of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, expressed his team's dedication to bringing joy to the millions of people who tune in to watch the parade each year. The parade covered a distance of 2.5 miles, starting from the Upper West Side of Manhattan and ending at Macy's flagship store on 34th Street, where some of the performances took place.
NBC's Al Roker, who co-hosted the live TV coverage with Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, walked a part of the parade route before joining his colleagues outside the store. Cynthia Erivo, star of the upcoming film "Wicked", presented flowers to Hoda Kotb, who may have been participating in her last parade broadcast. Despite the rain, the parade went on as planned, with only three cancellations in its entire history, all during World War II. The organizers kept a close eye on the wind speeds to ensure the safety of the giant balloons. While the temperature hovered around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, with winds of approximately 10 mph, it was well within the acceptable range for the balloons to be flown. City regulations prohibit Macy's from flying full-size balloons if the wind speeds exceed 23 mph or if there are gusts of over 35 mph.
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