Macy’s Parade 2021: It’s Back!

Good news for fans of the annual Macy’s parade. After the disappointing 2020 COVID-19 version which had no spectators, this year’s parade will welcome back the crowds and present the splashy spectacle TV audiences have come to expect for almost a century.

The 95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 25. It will feature 15 character balloons, 28 floats, 36 novelty and heritage inflatables, more than 800 clowns, 10 marching bands, 9 performance groups–and, of course, Santa Claus.

The parade airs from 9 a.m. till noon and NBC and Telemundo–and will stream on Peacock.

Many celebrities are expected to appear including: Jimmie Allen; Jon Batiste; “Blue’s Clues & you!” host Josh Dela Cruz; Kristin Chenoweth; Darren Criss; Jordan Fisher; Foreigner, Sara Bareilles, Miss America Camille Schrier; the cast and Muppets of “Sesame Street;” Carrie Underwood and Taureen Wells.

Broadway will be represented by performances from the musicals “Six,” “Moulin Rouge!” and “Wicked,” along with a sneak preview of NBC’s “Annie Live!” and the Radio City Rockettes.

Fans always look forward to new balloon’s and this year’s roster includes Netflix’s Ada Twist, Scientist;” a Funko Pop-inspried “The Mandalorian star Grogu (commonly called Baby Yoda); the fifth parade version of Ronald McDonald. “Pokemon favorite Pikachu, a parade star for 21 years, will be joined by fellow star Eevee.

Old favorites will include Snoopy, the stars of “The Boss Baby” and Diary of a Wimpy Kid/’ Sponge-Boby Square Pants; Smokey Bear and the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Joining Macy’s Great American Marching Band will be marching bands from New York, Illinois, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Texas, California, Oklahoma and Alabama.

All parade participants are required to be masked and vaccinated.

The parade starts at 77th Street and Central Park West at 9 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, proceeding for 2.5 miles from Central Park West to Columbus Circle, turning onto Central Park South and heading down 6th Avenue before turning west at 34th Street and ending at 7th Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square.

There will be public viewing along designated areas of the route; these will be managed by the New York Police Department. Spectators are asked not to bring strollers, backpacks, umbrellas or large bags. Those entering the viewing areas may be subject to a security search. Proof of vaccination will not be required.

As in the past, it will be possible to get a first look at the parade balloons. The Macy’s Inflation Celebration takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 24th and runs from noon till 6 p.m. Enter at 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue and view the balloons at 77th And 81st Streets. Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 is required. Children under the age of 12 who are not eligible to receive a vaccination may be accompanied by a vaccinated adult. Masks will be required at all times and social distancing will be encouraged.

A Little History…

This parade continues a tradition that started back in the 1920s, when America’s doors were wide open and millions of immigrants passed through Ellis Island. Many Macy’s employees were first generation immigrants, proud of being new Americans and wanting to celebrate an American holiday with the kind of festivals they’d known in Europe.

That first year—1924—the employees, dressed as clowns, cowboys, knights and sheiks– marched from 145^th Street down to 34^th Street. Accompanying them were floats, bands and 25 live animals—including camels and elephants–borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. A quarter of a million spectators turned out to see what was first called the Macy’s Christmas Day Parade.

Though the parade has become bigger and more elaborate each year, the clowns—mainly Macy’s employees–remain the heart and soul of the event. They take courses on makeup and costume, on how to use confetti and most important, how to stay lively and animated for the entire three-hour parade.

The famous giant balloons first appeared in 1927–Felix the Cat was the first—but they didn’t last long. As no one took into account the fact that helium expands at high altitudes, those first balloons exploded when released. The following year, the formula of helium and air was perfected and in a dramatic finale to the parade, all the balloons were successfully released. Later, they’d be equipped with a return address and an offer of a prize, but after a couple of near-disasters—like an aviator almost crashing as he tried to retrieve a balloon, that practice was discontinued.

Celebrities like Harpo Marx and Benny Goodman arrived in the 1930s to fill the gap. During the depression, Santa’s arrival was broadcast on the radio and more than a million people lined the city streets looking for a brief escape from the harsh realities of breadlines and unemployment.

When World War II broke out, the parade was suspended; rubber and helium could not be spared for entertainment. And when it resumed in 1945, the parade—with celebrities like Jackie Gleason, Shirley Temple and Jimmy Durante–was televised for all America to see. Later, stars like Sid Caesar, Danny Kaye and even Howdy Doody made appearances, along with Mickey Mouse and his Disney pals, as well as Superman and other comic book characters.

Rain or shine, the parade went on each year, except for 1971, when high winds made it impossible. Last year, COVID-19 resulted in a limited version. But this year, all the bells and whistles are back–and millions of TV viewers worldwide will be glad.