Charlie puts the turkey in the oven; Lucy peels the potatoes; Mom cranks open a can of cranberry sauce. As Charlie closes the oven door, he realizes there is something missing. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
The 98th parade will march down the streets of New York City beginning at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 28.
“This year’s lineup is described as ‘the largest yet’ featuring 17-character balloons, 22 floats, 15 heritage and novelty balloons, more than 700 clowns, 11 marching bands and more,” according to a recent article in the New York Times.
Perhaps in a nod to the feminist movement, Minney Mouse is making her balloon debut in this year’s parade, although Mickey has been a balloon since 1934.
“It’s about time,” Rebecca LeClair ’28 said.
Minnie will also appear on a new float from Disney cruise lines along with Captain Mickey joined by Disney Animation, Pixar and Marvel.
Another float is the Bronz Zoo’s “Wonderful World of Wildlife” float which celebrates the zoo’s animals and beloved exhibits.
Other new floats include Candy Cosmos by Haribo, maker of Gummy Bears; Dora’s Fantastical Rainforest by Nickelodeon and Paramount, Pasta Knight by Rao’s Homemade and Wednesday’s Fast by Netflix.
“I love the floats and appreciate all the work that has gone into them,” said four-time parade goer Anna Houston, former Ursuline teacher who has retired to Kansas City.
Parade watchers can also expect to see six new character balloons this year. Spider Man will return to the parade as an all-new balloon, inspired by comic book artist John Romia’s art.
“It is a family tradition to watch the parade on Thanksgiving morning. In fact, when I was in high school, I was honored to walk the parade with our school band. It holds a special place in my memory for me,” Kym Martin, San Antonio resident, said. The parade will feature over 20 marching bands from schools as far away as Lake Hamilton High School Marching Band from Hot Springs, AR to the “Pride of West Virginia” from Morgantown, WV. Closer to home is The Flower Mound High School Marching Band from Dallas suburb Flower Mound, TX.
Accompanying these bands will also be drill teams, dancers and cheerleaders, also from all around the country. Closest to home are the Kilgore College Rangerettes from Kilgore, TX. The Rangerettes have made multiple appearances in the long running parade.
The parade was a hit from the start, and that start was 97 years ago. Beginning in 1924, the parade grew larger and better with each passing year. Once only Macy’s employees rode the floats and spoke to the crowds, but that tradition has been replaced with celebrity announcers and performances from Broadway and Hollywood stars. This year’s parade announcers will be Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker who are returning to host the parade. The parade will air on the NBC network for which the three hosts have been, and are still, working.
The broadcast will also include performances from the iconic Radio City Rockettes and the Broadway shows Death Becomes Her, Hell’s Kitchen and The Outsiders.
“I enjoy watching for my favorite characters in the parade with my children. I also really enjoy seeing the various school organizations that get invited to participate. In fact, I recently donated to a fundraiser to help send the local band to perform,” said Meg Maguire, a Dallas resident.
Kate Harrison, another Dallasite, said, “In high school, I was invited to perform in the parade with my dance team.” I was unable to attend due to a family event. It is one of my biggest regrets,” she added.
New York resident Bay Scoggin, however, expresses another view of the big event. “It’s such a big event, the pageantry is incredible, but for us New Yorkers who live nearby, it makes getting around so difficult. After we see it the first time, we just start to complain about it,” he said.
However, according to Lynne Fletcher, mother of Kate Fletcher ’28, the best way to see the floats is to visit the Natural History Museum the night before the parade.
“They are all lined up there the night before Thanksgiving,” she said. “It is awesome to see them up close.”
For now, finally, it is time for Charlie to turn the TV off and take the turkey out of the oven. He has seen the last character to end the parade—Santa Claus—the figure who has signaled the end of the parade since its beginning.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Contributing to this story were students in Journalism 1. They include Rohini Gopal ’27, Paulina Jaar ’27, Rebecca LaClaire ’28, Sophia Shead ’28, Natalia Siewczynski ‘28
THE BEAR FACTS 