Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, with its balloons, its bands and more, will return this year to mark the start of the Christmas shopping season, which was the original purpose of the parade when it started in 1924.
In New York, it’s such a tradition that many children have grown up calling it the “Macy’s Day Parade.” But last year, the hoop-la of watching crews inflating the balloons the night before and lining the streets the next day to watch the parade, went the way of many other events in the Covid era.
This year, within limits, the spectators will be back, and the parade will be larger, too, although only 20% of its pre-pandemic size. All parade staff and volunteers will be vaccinated and masked, although singers will be able to remove masks while performing.
One new feature: The Santa Claus sleigh, which always marks the end of the parade, will get a new float this year, the first time in 40 years.
