A marching band plays during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

On Thursday, November 26, 2020 at 9 a.m., the 94th edition of the iconic holiday event will usher in the season with its signature giant character balloons, floats of fantasy, the nation’s finest marching bands, whimsical groups, musical performances, and the one-and-only Santa Claus. Check back here for details about the 2020 Parade closer to the event date.

A spectacle like no other awaits millions, as the 94th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, the nation’s most cherished holiday tradition, kicks off the holiday season. At 9 am on Thursday, November 26, 2020, the time honored phrase Let’s Have a Parade™ will ring from the starting line as the march of fantasy takes to the streets of New York City.

With more than 8,000 volunteers dressed as clowns, guiding the flight of larger-than-life character balloons, transporting spectators to new worlds on signature floats, bringing the beat in the nation’s best marching bands and entertaining the crowds as part of dazzling performance groups, the annual march is jam-packed with entertainment. With more than 3.5 million spectators in New York City and more than 50 million television viewers nationwide, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is America’s premiere holiday celebration.


A Look Back: The 2019 Thanksgiving Day Parade

For the 93rd edition of the Parade, the line-up featured 16 giant character balloons; 40 novelty balloons, heritage balloons, balloonicles, balloonheads and trycaloons; 26 floats; 1,200 cheerleaders and dancers; more than 1,000 clowns; and 11 marching bands.

The Balloons at the 93rd Thanksgiving Day Parade

Since 1927, when the Parade’s character balloons first joined the revelry, the inflatables have become a signature element featuring some of the world’s most beloved characters. Over time, the inflatables have morphed from air-filled characters carried on sticks to high-flying giants, balloonheads and even hybrid inflatables with vehicles inside (balloonicles) or tandem tricycles (trycaloons).

2019 Balloons

New giants joined the line-up in 2019, including Astronaut Snoopy by Peanuts Worldwide, Green Eggs and Ham by Netflix and SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary by Nickelodeon. In celebration of his 75th birthday, a heritage balloon and fan favorite returned to the Parade—Smokey Bear.

Love Flies Up to the Sky, a balloon by world-renowned artist Yayoi Kusama, joined the Macy’s Parade as the eighth edition of the Macy's Blue Sky Gallery—balloons designed by top artists.

Returning giant balloon characters included Diary of A Wimpy Kid; DINO; The Elf on the Shelf; Goku; Illumination Presents Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch; Jett by Super Wings; Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen 2”; Chase from PAW Patrol; Pikachu; Pillsbury Doughboy; Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger; Ronald McDonald; and Trolls. Completing the inflatable lineup were the famed Aflac Duck, Baby DINOs and the Go Bowling balloonicles, as well as The Nutcracker.

The 2019 Pre-Parade Balloon Inflation Event

Balloon Inflation takes place on the day before Thanksgiving. The public was invited to watch the Macy's Giant Balloon Inflation on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day, from 1 pm to 8 pm.

Star Power: the 2019 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Lineup

The Macy’s Parade had must-see entertainment for everyone in the family. Joining the festivities were stars from a variety of global music genres including Pop, R&B, Country, Latin and K-Pop, with a few noteworthy special appearances thrown in the mix.

Appearing or performing onboard one of Macy’s signature floating stages were Natasha Bedingfield, Black Eyed Peas, Chicago, Ciara, Josh Dela Cruz, Debbie Gibson, former NASA Astronauts Kay Hire & Janet Kavandi, Chris Janson, Idina Menzel, Lea Michele, Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin, NHL® Legends Dominic Moore and Eddie Olczyk, the cast & Muppets of Sesame Street, NCT 127, Ozuna, Billy Porter, Kelly Rowland, That Girl Lay Lay, TLC, Tenille Townes, and Chris Young; with an extra special appearance by Santa Claus.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Floats and Specialty Units

Float Construction

Conceived and crafted by the incredible artisans of Macy’s Parade Studio—a design and production facility that includes carpenters, engineers, electricians, painters, animators, sculptors, metal fabricators, scenic and costume designers—this year’s line-up of floats transported spectators to worlds of wonder.

2019 Floats

In 2019, five new floats debuted including Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues & You! (Josh Dela Cruz), The Brick-changer by The Lego Group (NCT 127), Home Sweet Home by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® (Tenille Townes), Rexy in the City by COACH® (Billy Porter), and Toy House of Marvelous Milestones by New York Life (Kelly Rowland). In addition to these new floats, many floats that appeared in prior parades returned with performers and special stars.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Marching Bands and Performance Groups

The nation’s best marching bands brought the beat to the holiday revelry. For the  93rd march, 11 of the specially chosen ensembles ignited coast-to-coast excitement and hometown pride as they stepped off and performed on the streets of the Big Apple and the Parade’s signature large and specialty performance groups entertained the crowds with their signature exuberance. .

Television Special Event

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the nation’s biggest and most anticipated holiday celebration. Broadcast nationally on NBC, with millions of families nationwide tuning in to watch the excitement unfold, the TODAY Show’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker hosted a three-hour broadcast featuring a who’s who of actors, singers, dancers and more, among them the famed Radio City Rockettes®.


For 2020 Parade details, check back here closer to the event date and also check out the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade site.