- This year’s event will mark the 95th iteration of Macy’s iconic balloon-filled parade.
- Last year’s scaled-down parade was televised due to the pandemic.
Macy’s said Wednesday the public will once again be able to line the streets of New York City to watch its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade live.
This year’s event will mark the 95th iteration of Macy’s iconic balloon-filled parade. Live musical performances will be back as well, including the marching bands that were originally expected to perform in last year’s parade.
The event was dramatically pared down last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It didn’t use its usual 2.5-mile parade route and instead shifted to a televised broadcast only.
“We are thrilled to welcome back in its full form the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. “We applaud Macy’s work to creatively continue this beloved tradition last year.”
Macy’s said it has pulled best practices from its recent Fourth of July Fireworks show, which drew a public audience this year after scaling back in 2020.
For its Thanksgiving Day Parade, Macy’s said that all volunteer participants and staff must be vaccinated against Covid. In order to implement social distancing along the parade route, Macy’s said it will cut the number of participants by up to 20% to 1,600.
The department store chain also said it is still considering how to handle the balloon inflation public viewing, which takes place the night before the parade.
Macy’s added it will continue to monitor evolving health trends and is prepared to implement contingency plans, if needed.
Find the full press release from Macy’s here.
Disclosure: Comcast’s NBCUniversal is the parent of CNBC and CNBC.com. NBC has been televising the event since 1953.
Source: Business - cnbc.com
