|
The Feel-Good Guide to Sports, Travel, Shopping & Entertainment
|
| Main | Sports Events | Holidays & Observances | Pop Culture | Shopping | Travel |
MAIN
Headlining the Thanksgiving Parade celebrity lineup this year is Ciara, Foreigner, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Busta Rhymes, Shaggy, Mickey Guyton and Teyana Taylor, with additional performances by Mateo Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Gavin McGraw, Christopher Jackson, Lauren Spencer Smith, Calum Scott, Jewel, Debbie Gibson, Meg Donnelly, and Taylor Momsen. Also watch for special performances by Broadway stars, the American Ballet Theater and, of course, the high-stepping Rockettes - just before the annual arrival of .... Santa! For official updates on this year's schedule check out Macy's official parade information here.
Just up ahead, take an online tour of what else is going on - coast to coast - with times and locations of this year's big Thanksgiving Day events. If you're staying at home to watch on TV, also be sure to stick around for the annual 2025 National Dog Show beginning right after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. And for diehard football fans, the NFL Thanksgiving Day football games includes this year's top teams squaring-off around noon. Just up ahead, check out more about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (including fun facts and trivia) plus more info on where else Thanksgiving Day is being celebrated coast-to-coast in the USA.
• 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street" marked the parade's first Hollywood starring role. • Macy's famous parade balloons made their debut in 1927. The biggest attraction was Felix the Cat, the first cartoon character balloon. • Today, parade balloons are filled with an average 12,000 cubic feet of helium, capable of lifting nearly 750 pounds. Carefully guiding the behemoths are up to 90 human handlers, who have to be physically fit and weigh at least 120 pounds. • This Thanksgiving, give a thought to volunteers who guide the inflatable giants along the entire parade route. They include balloon "pilots", volunteers who walk BACKWARDS for the entire stretch of the parade who direct other volunteers holding the ropes. Due to resulting foot and leg cramps, most volunteers will give thanks for a hot shower, heading pads, and muscle cream following the parade. • The Show Must Go On! : The snowiest parade happened when almost five inches of the white stuff were dumped on New York City before the parade start in 1989. The coldest parade was in 2018, when participants and celebrities trudged through the parade during a chilly 19°F Thanksgiving morning.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025 - The one that started
it all, with details on New York parade history and info on the traditional
helium balloon extravaganza, the full parade route, celebrity floats, marching bands,
maps and best viewing locations, interactive online games
and more. Houston Thanksgiving Day Parade, Houston's big holiday extravaganza with the complete parade route, promo video and photos. Chicago Thanksgiving Parade - This year's complete schedule and parade route, VIP tickets, pics, video and a guide to parade volunteering and participation. Carolinas' Carrousel Thanksgiving Day Parade, Charlotte's march down Tryon Street including the complete schedule, updates and photos. Plimoth Plantation - The Massachusetts living history museum re-creates Thanksgiving with authentic 1627 theme dining and other activities. New England Thanksgiving and Victorian Thanksgiving dinners feature period food, table manners and customs. Old
Sturbridge Village - Lots of activities throughout
the month, with Thanksgiving Day events at this Western Massachusetts
living history museum, including a re-created Meetinghouse
service, a musket shoot, and storytelling. |
Check out major holiday happenings for 2025 -- starting with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 27, 2025 on NBC beginning at 8:30AM ET.
