THE 87TH ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE® MARKS THE START OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH THE NATION’S MOST BELOVED SPECTACLE, FEATURING GIANT HELIUM BALLOONS, FLOATS OF WONDER, PULSE POUNDING MARCHING BANDS, ENGAGING PERFORMANCE GROUPS, CELEBRITY APPEARANCES AND THE ONE-AND-ONLY SANTA CLAUSFrom its modest beginnings in 1924 with only about a dozen elements to the grand spectacular we know today, the Macy’s Parade line-up unfolds each year with breathtaking pageantry. This year the line-up of wonder features 15 giant character balloons; 37 large scale, novelty/ornament balloons, balloonicles, balloonheads and trycaloons; 30 floats; 1,600 cheerleaders and dancers; 900 clowns; 11 marching bands; and a host of celebrity performers.
“I’m pretty sure the magicians at Macy’s Parade Studio have once again made it onto Santa’s nice list,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “As America’s best high school and college marching bands, hundreds of dancers, cheerleaders, clowns, and balloon handlers make their way down the streets of New York for our 87th march, they will be joined by four brand new giant character balloons, five new intricately designed floats and one spinning dreidel. These new entries join the already stellar grouping of balloons, floats, performers and adorable kids that will once again make Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade the perfect way for everyone to begin their Thanksgiving holiday.”
Each Thanksgiving morning, as part of the ribbon cutting ceremony, a special group is invited to join Amy Kule to lead the Parade down the streets of Manhattan. Often these groups feature exceptional individuals who are making a contribution to the city or nation. This year, students from FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), along with specially created robots designed by the selected students will help kick-off the march. FIRST is a nationwide organization the aims to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders by building skills through a mentor-based program.
BALLOON GIANTS SOAR
The Parade’s signature giant character balloons are one of the procession’s most famous elements, each year drawing millions of cheers from spectators young and old. Joining the line-up this year are two returning favorites with brand new designs and two never-before seen characters set to take flight this Thanksgiving. Making their Thanksgiving Day debuts are pop culture sensations Adventure Time with Finn and Jake; the world-famous beagle Snoopy with his pal Woodstock; the eternal undersea optimist SpongeBob SquarePants; and the loveable night fury dragon Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon.”
Set to mark the 75th Anniversary of The Wizard of OZ™, a 47-foot tall giant hot air balloon emblazoned with the portraits of the characters from the classic film, will glide down the route carrying the Wizard of Oz™ himself! Along for the ride below will be Dorothy™ and special balloonhead characters of the Scarecrow™, Tin Man™, Cowardly Lion™ and the Wicked Witch of the West™. In addition, to celebrate the first time in the Parade’s history that Thanksgiving falls on the first night of Hanukkah, a special spinning dreidel balloonicle will delight spectators as it spins its way down the route.
Rounding out the ballooning line-up are returning favorites including Buzz Lightyear, Diary of A Wimpy Kid®, The Elf on the Shelf®, Hello Kitty®, Julius, Papa Smurf, Pikachu, Pillsbury Doughboy®, Ronald McDonald®, Sonic the Hedgehog™ and Spider-Man®.
FLOATING FANTASY
Macy’s Parade’s signature floating stages set the scene for worlds of fantasy and delight that take spectators on magical journeys. Joining the line-up will be the scrumptious madness of Despicably Delicious!; the fantastic flying ship and acrobatic wonder of the Dreamseeker; the delectable puppetry aboard the Enchanting World of Lindt Chocolate; the undersea beauty of marine life on A Sea of Surprises; and the adventurous activities aboard the cruising vessel on A World at Sea.The returning float roster includes 1-2-3 Sesame Street; Big Apple; Bridge To The Future; Cornucopia; Daytime, Play Time, Night Time Too…; Dora’s Christmas Carol Adventure; Frozen Fall Fun; Goldfish® on Parade; International Cele-bear-ation Clock Tower; It’s All Rock & Roll; Marion-Carole Showboat; Mount Rushmore’s American Pride; On The Roll Again; Pep Rally; Santa’s Sleigh; The Smurfs™; Stirrin’ Up Sweet Sensations; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Tom Turkey; True Spirit of Thanksgiving; Uncle Sam’s Top Hat; Wild Wild West Express; Winter Wonderland In Central Park; Woodland Family Gathering and Zhu-niverse.
STRIKE UP THE BAND AND CHEER
Taking the streets by storm and bringing the beat and the pizzazz are the nation’s best marching bands and performance groups. Together they add the musical heart and whimsical talent portion to the holiday revelry, delighting spectators along the route and providing television viewers with showstopping performances. Eleven marching bands will take up the call of the baton and march down the heart of Manhattan. Joining the Thanksgiving Day revelry are Concord Community High School (Elkhart, IN), Lakota West High School (West Chester, OH), Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States), James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA), Marian Catholic High School (Chicago Heights, IL), Mountain View High School (Mesa, AZ), Ooltewah High School (Ooltewah, TN), Tarpon Springs High School (Tarpon Springs, FL), Union High School (Tulsa, OK), United States Marine Corps (Quantico, VA), and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (Amherst, MA). The supply of sometimes wacky, but always fun entertainment includes the nation’s best performance groups. Taking center stage on in the line of march are the all-male cloggers of All That! (Myrtle Beach, SC), the special jump ropers of J.U.M.P. (United States), dazzling dancers of Spirit of America Dance (United States), the funky precision team members of the South ShoreDrill Team (Chicago, IL), and the peppy cheerleaders of Varsity Spirit Cheer (United States).
STARS ON PARADE
The star power on Thanksgiving Day comes courtesy of performers from music, film, sports, theatre and television. As they reach their marks on 34th Street, the nation will enjoy their spectacular performances. Joining the festivities this year are the Big Apple Circus, Kristin Chenoweth, Cherokee National Youth Choir, Chica and the gang from Sprout, Cirque du Soleil®, Gavin DeGraw, Brett Eldredge, Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots with the cast of Sesame Street, Fifth Harmony, Florida Georgia Line, Goo Goo Dolls, Ariana Grande, Jack Hannah, Megan Hilty, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, Sandra Lee, Cher Lloyd, Austin Mahone, Mannheim Steamroller, Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri, NFL legends Joe Namath, Bart Oates, Amani Toomer and Hines Ward, NHL legends Cam Neely and Mike Richter, Kellie Pickler, The Robertson family from A&E®’s hit series Duck Dynasty®, Debby Ryan, Richard Simmons, and The Summer Set.
APPOINTMENT TELEVISION
Nationwide, Thanksgiving Day celebrations are never complete without tuning in to the national broadcast of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. Regularly one of the nation’s most viewed events, millions of families tune-in every year to watch the revelry unfold. This year, the TODAY Show’s Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie will anchor the threehour broadcast from 9:00 AM – Noon; in all time zones. Enhancing the Parade’s signature entertainment will be the world-famous Radio City Rockettes® helping to kick-off the holidays, along with performances from Broadway’s best musicals including “Matilda,” “Motown” and more. In addition, the first-hour of the national broadcast will feature a special appearance by Carrie Underwood and members of the cast of NBC’s “The Sound of Music Live!”The 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will step-off at 77th Street and Central Park West. The procession will travel down to Columbus Circle, turn onto Central Park South and march down 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas to 34th Street. At 34th Street, the Parade will make its final turn west and end at 7th Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square. Fans nationwide can kick-off their own Parade experiences early by downloading the free Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade App. The App will give fans the chance to interact with the famed march, learn more about the elements and share content with their friends. From behind-thescenes previews to the exclusive Elf-o-matic feature, which allows fans to transform
themselves into an Elf balloon and share their high-flying debut with friends; the App is a onestop destination for all things Macy’s Parade. The app is available now from the iTunes App Store or from Google Play. In addition to the interactive app experience this year, Macy’s iconic characters will take center stage in a series of animated spots featuring Tom Turkey, Arrtie the Pirate, Happy Hippo, the rambunctious Elf trio and more. Catch the action on macys.com/parade and watch how Macy’s star characters prep for the big day.
A Holiday Treat for Children Everywhere is the guiding motto of this national tradition, which continues to this day. For more information on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, please visit www.macys.com/parade or call the Parade hotline at 212-494-4495. Follow @macys and join the conversation at #MacysParade on various social networks.
Affinia Manhattan Hotel is the official hotel partner of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Delta Air Lines, New York’s most global airline is proud to be the official airline of Macy’s Parade.
GMC Truck is the official truck of the Macy’s Parade.
Timberland is the official outerwear provider.
Remo is the official drumhead provider.
PLEASE NOTE: ALL TALENT, PERFORMANCES, ELEMENTS AND INFORMATION INCLUDED ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
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