The 86th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in New York City and broadcasted on NBC from 9 to noon on Thursday, Nov 22. With more than three million people watching the parade on the streets of NYC and more than 50 million people watching the celebration from their own homes, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade did not fail to entertain viewers. With 2.5 miles of public viewing, the streets were cladded with gigantic balloons, colorful clowns, talented performers and ornate floats.
Starting from Central Park West and 77th Street, character balloons such as Hello Kitty, Spider-Man and Pikachu floated their way to Macy’s Herald Square. Joining the character balloons were clans of clowns including the funny Fire Brigade and Breakfast Clowns. Carly Rae Jepsen, The Wanted, and YouTube pop sensations Megan & Liz were just a few of the musicians that performed at the Parade. Other musical performances included that of Broadway’s cast of Elf, Annie, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Bring It On: The Musical, Cinderella and, The Radio City Rockettes. The NYPD and various schools’ marching bands from around the country performed as well.
Ornate floats included Oneida Nation’s “True Spirit of Thanksgiving” which featured a turtle that represented Mother Earth and a Tree of Life. Iroquois social dance music rang from the float. The “True Spirit of Thanksgiving” float along with Native American representatives that accompanied it, symbolized the origin of Thanksgiving and its true meaning.
As another reminder the parade’s classic traditions, a special honor was given to 95-year-old Milton DeLugg. DeLugg, the music director of the Parade for 42 years, was honored by hosts Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie, “the name Milton DeLugg is truly music to our ears” Guthrie said. Thanksgiving is all about showing gratitude for what you are blessed with; Macy’s 86th Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade did just that.