The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, in Manhattan. This year marks the 100th parade, and 100 balloons are expected to take part. The day before the parade, on the 25th, the balloon inflation event will be held around the American Museum of Natural History.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will be held in Manhattan on Thursday, Nov. 26. The 100th edition of the event steps off at 8:30 a.m. from Central Park West at West 77th Street on the Upper West Side and is expected to continue until around noon. The parade began in 1924 and was suspended for three years during World War II, which makes this year the 100th.
A total of 100 giant balloons and inflatables are reportedly set to appear this year. The Blue Hippopotamus returns, and Underdog will take to the streets for the first time since 1984. Felix the Cat will also make another appearance, while Disney's Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice and a Joe Cool and Woodstock balloon join the lineup for the first time. A "Macy's All-Stars" float featuring Bullwinkle, Popeye and others will also debut.
The parade will be broadcast live from 8:30 a.m. in all time zones on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo. Last year, more than 3.5 million spectators reportedly attended in person. The procession typically runs from Central Park West through Columbus Circle, then along Central Park South and down Sixth Avenue, ending in front of Macy's Herald Square. The official route and street closures for this year have not yet been announced.
Balloon inflation takes place the evening before
The inflation event, where the balloons are filled with air, will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 25, the day before the parade, around the American Museum of Natural History on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Last year, it ran from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., with entry at the West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue side. Macy's plans to announce this year's hours and entry procedures closer to the event.