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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki
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The 95th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

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The 95th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held on November 25th, 2021 in New York City, and was showcased to viewers live on NBC that same day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST. It was hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker. Participating celebrities included Andy Grammer, Foreigner, Jon Batiste, Jimmie Allen, Kelly Rowland and Kim Petras.

Overview

Under the giant helium balloons during the 2021 Macy's Parade were the usual 80-100 handlers that helped the nylon giants through the streets of New York - a sight that was not seen in over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also returning were performance groups, marching bands and the 3.5 million spectators that lined the streets of New York City for the first time since 2019. Among them, no word encapsulated the feeling of being back other than thankful.

Debuting as all-new giant balloons were Ada Twist, Scientist of Netflix fame, and Parade veterans Pikachu and Ronald McDonald, both with brand-new designs. The lovable Grogu - better known as Baby Yoda - soared down 34th Street as a massive crowd-pleaser. Joining them was Tiptoe, the first-ever puppet balloon, and Toni, the Bandleader Bear, who paid tribute to the Parade's marching band program.

Jon Batiste, who had been recently nominated for 11 Grammy awards, rode on a 60-foot long alligator courtesy of the Louisisana Department of Tourism. Not far behind, Captain Minnie set sail on the colossal "Magic Meets the Sea" float by Disney Cruise Line, and the cast of Girls5eva strutted their stuff on the glitzy "Birds of a Feather Stream Together" float from streaming service Peacock. Rapper Nelly waved from a float advertising Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, and the HEINZ Gravy Pirates ensured everyone had savory gravy for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Per usual, Santa Claus himself made his annual appearance in the Parade of all Parades. Aboard his colossal emerald and golden sleigh, Jolly Old Saint Nick delighted spectators as he signaled the unofficial start to the holiday season.

Parade Lineup

Listed below are the various Parade units that appeared in the 2021 line of march. Each unit is listed in several categories and sub-categories, in addition to the unit's sponsor.

Bold indicates a new Parade unit, and an underline indicates an element that was brought back after an absence.

Balloons

Giant Balloons

Heritage Balloons

Novelty Balloons

Balloonicles

Trycaloons

Floats

Specialty Units

Toy Floats

Marching Bands

Guest Stars

Specialty Characters

Performance Groups

Pre-Parade Acts

Clowns

Stilt Walkers

Clown Cars

Trivia

  • The 95th annual procession marked the return of the 2.5-mile long Parade route, with spectators once again being allowed to line the streets of New York City. The 2021 Macy's Parade health and safety procedures included, but were not limited to the following:
    • All volunteer participants and staff were vaccinated. Vaccine verification was conducted at all back of house entry points. A few exceptions to this procedure was made at the sole discretion of Macy’s and its medical consultant based on select extenuating circumstances. For those rare instances, Macy’s medical consultant administered COVID-19 testing and clear the individual for Parade participation.
    • All participants and staff regardless of vaccination status wore face coverings and additional protective equipment, as warranted by their role. As appropriate, exceptions included singers, dancers and musicians performing down the route or for the national broadcast.
    • Macy’s implemented a reduction in the overall number of participants of between 10 to 20 percent (approximately 800 to 1,600 participants).
    • Social distancing practices were in place at all interior/exterior Parade operations including costuming areas, seating and participant check-in.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kristin Chenoweth was initally scheduled to perform a song from her album, Happiness is...Christmas!, on the Balsam Hill float. However, she was unable to appear due to unknown reasons.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Indigenous Direction and #TheAccidentals Quartet only made appearances at 34th Street for the NBC telecast, and did not appear on the Parade route.
  3. ↑ The Turkey Tech Players & Sports Fans did not appear on route, as they were instead featured in a pre-Parade segment on NBC.
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