Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ’24: Protests lead to arrests

NEW YORK – The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade marched, shot and roared into its second century Thursday, despite torrential rain and a brief disruption by pro-Palestinian protesters.

New York police said they arrested 21 people after protesters jumped over barricades and took to the parade route with Palestinian flags and a banner that read “Don’t celebrate genocide.” They chanted “Free, Free Palestine!” as a giant Ronald McDonald balloon hurtled toward them on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan.

People protesting Israel’s war in Gaza also interrupted the parade last year.

Thanks to the wet weather, ponchos and umbrellas were part of the festivities, along with the usual giant balloons, floats and star-studded performances.

The latest edition of the annual holiday tradition included new Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, zoo and pasta-themed floats, an ode to coffee and bagels from the Big Apple, appearances from Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel and Kylie Minogue, and more.

The lineup was a far cry from the parade’s original incarnation 100 years ago, which featured floats with scenes from “Mother Goose,” “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf,” “Miss Muffet and the Spider” and other fairy tales.

However, some things remained the same. As in 1924, there were many brass bands and many clowns, followed by the grand finale with Santa Claus, which ushered in the Christmas season.

This year’s parade featured 17 giant helium-filled character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and vintage inflatables, 11 marching bands from as far away as Texas and South Dakota, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups, award-winning singers and actors and much more from the WNBA. Champion New York Liberty.

Other highlights included reality TV star Ariana Madix, hip-hop star T-Pain, country duo Dan + Shay, The War and Treaty, The Temptations, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Broadway veteran Lea Salonga and “Glow “-Actress and Macy’s spokesperson Alison Brie.

A new float put food brand Rao’s in the spotlight and featured a knight and a dragon in battle, made from real pasta elements. Another celebrated the Bronx Zoo’s 125th anniversary with depictions of a tiger, giraffe, zebra and gorilla.

“The work we do, the opportunity to impact millions of people and bring joy for a few hours on Thanksgiving morning is what motivates us every day,” said Will Coss, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade .

The parade route stretched 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from Manhattan’s Upper West Side to the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, which served as the backdrop for the performance.

NBC’s Al Roker walked part of the route before joining co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb outside the store for the rest of the live TV coverage. “Wicked” movie star Cynthia Erivo presented the retired Kotb with flowers to commemorate what could be her final parade broadcast.

The rain didn’t stop anything — the parade was canceled only three times, from 1942 to 1944 during World War II — but organizers monitored wind speeds to ensure the large balloons could fly safely.

The temperatures were around 10°C (50°F), it rained all morning and the wind was blowing around 10 mph, which is well within the acceptable range for Snoopy, Bluey and their friends to fly into the air allow. City law prohibits Macy’s from flying full-size balloons when sustained winds exceed 23 miles per hour (37 km/h) or gusts exceed 35 miles per hour (56 km/h).