Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Kicks Off On UWS

Spectators who were in the crowd for Macy's annual Thanksgiving Day parade were thankful to see some of the biggest stars in the entertainment business join the festivities on Thursday, November 24.

The parade route saw jumbo-sized balloons, marching bands, and celebrities officially kick off the holiday season on an unusually bright, warm day. Families from all over the world gathered close together to line the busy streets. The route stretched from Central Park all the way down to the iconic Macy's storefront in the heart of Herold Square, totaling the span of over 40 city blocks. Broadway performer Lea Michele put on a breathtaking performance from the hit musical 'Funny Girl' to open the show.

A variety of famous faces showed up to ride colorful floats and perform for their adoring fans in the audience. In her first parade appearance for Macy's, legendary pop singer and former 'American Idol' judge Paula Abdul bounced around bright and early first thing in the morning without missing a beat. Big Time Rush--who first gained infamy as the Nickelodeon network's premiere boy band--were all smiles as they waved to wide-eyed children who pushed up against the barricades. Gloria Estefan got everyone on their feet when she appeared alongside her family, and 2022 Miss America winner Emma Broyles showed off her marvelous pageantry skills and elegance.

Comedian Jimmy Fallon acted as the honorary master of ceremonies of sorts while sporting dark sunglasses and a bright red scarf. 'The Tonight Show' host joined the legendary Roots band to share nonstop laughter from start to finish of the special holiday telecast. They were seen joking around on a can't-miss float celebrating the very best of New York City. Marchers who dressed up as clowns also tossed confetti into the gleeful crowd who wanted nothing more than to get in on the action.

The annual holiday tradition came to a close as Santa made his anticipated arrival in a true, jolly fashion as only Saint Nicholas could. The spectacular 96th celebration was broadcast live on NBC from 9 AM to 12 PM, drawing 27.7 million viewers to the network and its streaming platform service Peacock.