Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade celebrates holiday season with balloons, bands and Santa in New York

The 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City featured giant balloons, marching bands, and celebrity performances.

The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in New York City on Thursday, November 23, 2023. The parade featured beloved characters like Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants, as well as musical performances from big names like Cher, Jon Batiste, Bell Biv DeVoe, Brandy, Jessie James Decker, Pentatonix, Miss America 2023 Grace Stanke, and casts of some Broadway shows.

New balloons introduced in this year's parade include Leo the lizard, a character from a Netflix film, and a new Beagle Scout Snoopy version, celebrating the 50th anniversary of his first appearance in the Peanuts comics. The parade also featured more than two dozen floats, marching bands from around the country, and clown crews among the 8,000 participants.

The parade drew thousands of spectators who lined the streets to watch the procession. Families traveled from near and far to witness the parade, and many expressed their excitement at seeing the balloons and floats in person for the first time. President Joe Biden and his wife Jill even called into the parade to express their gratitude for the country.

The parade, which has been held annually since 1924, was broadcast on NBC and hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker from "Today." The event marked the beginning of the holiday season and brought joy to both those who attended in person and those who watched from home.

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