Gather your family for a new installment in a time-honored Thanksgiving tradition because the Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is returning to the streets of Manhattan for its 97th year on Thursday, November 23. This year's parade is set to feature elaborate new floats, balloons, and music to celebrate the holiday, and plenty of celebrities, musicians and special guests will be in attendance. For many families, it's the perfect way to kick off Thanksgiving morning. Long before the turkey is out of the oven and football games begin on and off the screen, the annual parade down historic 34th Street is the definition of festive fun. Every year, new and exciting floats are featured, musical guests perform, and more, while millions watch from around the country.
No time to see who or what will be at this year's parade between baking potatoes and basting your turkey? Don't worry! Here's an official guide on how to catch all the holiday fun during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023. We've rounded up all of the important information from how to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to everything that will be featured in this year's lineup.
How to Watch
Noam Galai/Getty Images
The parade will air on NBC. But for those who have cut the cord, fear not! The parade will also be streaming on NBC's respective app Peacock. Don't have either? Another thing to be grateful for this holiday is that because the parade will be airing on NBC, any streaming service with that channel will let you watch the parade. This includes Hulu + Live TV, Youtube TV, fuboTV, and Sling TV—all of which have free trials if you're there just for the turkey (like certain family members this Thanksgiving).
Regardless of where you're watching it, the parade will start at 9 AM and run until 12 PM in all time zones, so friends on the West Coast won't have to wake up early to catch this spectacular show. "Today" hosts Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will be on hand to host the yearly celebration. The parade will begin its route at 77th Street and Central Park West, after which it will move from Central Park West to Columbus Circle, down 6th Avenue to 34th Street before ending at the iconic Macy's store at Macy's Herald Square.
What to Expect
Noam Galai/Getty Images
Fans and viewers can expect the parade's traditional colorful, flashy floats and balloons during the 97th celebration. In all, the parade will feature 16 featured character balloons, 26 fantastic floats, 32 heritage and novelty balloons, more than 700 clowns, 12 marching bands and nine performance groups. Joining them are some of the biggest stars in music, and of course, Santa Claus. A total of 5,000 volunteers will be working together to make the massive event happen.
Parade Performers
Michael Stewart/Getty Images
Cher has been announced as the headlining act. Joining the "Goddess of Pop" in the festivities are Grammy-winner Jon Batiste, Brandy, Bell Biv DeVoe, Chicago, En Vogue, ENHYPEN and David Foster and Katharine McPhee.
Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, Jessie James Decker, Ashley Park, Pentatonix, Paul Russell, Amanda Shaw and Alex Smith and Manuel Turizo will also hit the streets of NYC. Additionally, U.S. Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles and U.S. Paralympic gold medalist Jessica Long will make an appearance.
The biggest stars of Broadway are also poised to light up the parade. Castmembers from Broadway shows "& Juliet," "Back to the Future: The Musical," "How To Dance In Ohio," "Shucked" and "Spamalot" are slated to perform, with an appearance by Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells of "Gutenberg! The Musical!"
The iconic Radio City Rockettes will also be high-kicking their way across the stage because, honestly, what would Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade be without them?
New Parade Balloons and Floats
Noam Galai/FilmMagic
This year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will showcase three new balloons and three new floats, each with its unique story.
First, there's Beagle Scout Snoopy, a familiar face at the parade, marking the 9th rendition of the beloved character balloon. This year's Snoopy celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Beagle Scouts' debut in Charles M. Schulz's iconic comic strip.
In a historic parade debut, we have Blue Cat & Chugs, representing the Cool Cats, a global storytelling character brand. What sets it apart is that it's the first-ever NFT character transformed into a real-life parade balloon.
Adding to the excitement, Monkey D. Luffy, the courageous leader from the acclaimed One Piece animated series, will make its grand entrance. This new balloon is a vibrant spectacle, painted with over 20 different colors and soaring 50 feet high, equivalent to the height of a 5-story building.
The parade's float lineup also boasts some remarkable newcomers.
Solo Stove's Igniting Memories float features a cozy campsite atop a mountainous structure, complete with a Solo Stove Bonfire. An RV on the float adds a charming touch, appearing as though it's been towed up to the campsite.
Brach's Palace of Sweets is a colossal confectionery wonder, making its Thanksgiving Day debut. It showcases a rotating candy Christmas tree and a giant gingerbread house adorned with candy cane trim, with the largest candy cane on the float being a staggering 9,720 times larger than a regular Brach's candy cane.
Warner Bros. Pictures' The Deliciously Delectable World of Wonka float, premiering on November 24, is a sugar lover's dream. Featuring approximately 592,000 pieces of prop candy displayed in illuminated jars, this float sets the stage for the upcoming release of "Wonka" in December.
Any fans looking to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023 in person in New York City may do so at the public viewing areas set up and managed by NYPD. More information can be found here.
