One of the signature traditions of Thanksgiving is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will go on as scheduled – 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 26, on NBC – with some key differences.
With no crowds and Covid guidelines firmly in place, the focus will shift to Herald Square, home of Macy’s flagship store, where many of the performances traditionally take place. This year, the casts of “Hamilton,” “Jagged Little Pill,” “Ain’t Too Proud” and “Mean Girls” will perform, along with Patti LaBelle, Leslie Odom Jr., Dolly Parton, Jordan Sparks and the New York City Ballet.
There will still be balloons and floats, but with the number of handlers cut about 70%, some of them will be filmed beforehand, with the bigger character balloons anchored by specially rigged vehicles.
“For New Yorkers who typically see it live and in person, this change for them is that they are going to experience it the same way the rest of the country experiences it,” Susan Tercero, executive producer of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, said of what is now strictly a TV presentation. “But I think for the rest of country, it’s not going to be too different.”
What will be different is the salute to past parades that didn’t get their Big Apple due this year because of the virus. They include the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the West Indian Day Parade, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, the Pride Parade and the Mermaid Parade. Call it a parade of parades.
Wherever, however you celebrate, please do so safely. And from all of us at WAG, Happy Thanksgiving.
For more, visit https://www.macys.com/social/parade/.
– Georgette Gouveia