Check out major holiday happenings for 2024 -- starting with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 28, 2024 on NBC.
What's New in 2024
Unconfirmed news reports have Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade moving to Orlando this year in celebration of the parade's 100th anniversary!
That's right. As the story goes, the Magic Kingdom in DisneyWorld may take the helm of a New York City institution this year in a multimillion dollar deal -- that will also move the television rights from NBC to Disney-owned ABC for the frist time ever.
While we wait for confirmed reports, keep it here for upates on the latest details.
Macy's Parade 2024 Performers
Music legend Cher led the lineup of stars at
the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Although still months away, be sure to keep it here for updated info on who will be performing at this year's parade - just before the annual arrival of .... Santa!
Along with performances by pop stars, and cast members of the latest Broadway show hits, it wouldn't be the Macy's parade without the Raido City Rockettes!
Just up ahead, check out more about the 2024 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.
Actor Edmund Gwenn as Santa went on
to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
• 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street" marked the parade's first Hollywood starring role.
• The scenes in "Miracle" are real, and taken from the 1946 parade the year before.
• 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.
What else is happening on Thanksgiving Day 2024
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 2024 National Dog Show beginning right after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC.
More about Thanksgiving Day parades & events around the Web:
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024 - 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.
America's Thanksgiving
Parade Detroit hosts one of the country's oldest parades, starting on Woodward Avenue and Mack, and ending at Woodward Avenue and Congress.
Chicago
Thanksgiving Parade - This year's complete schedule and parade route, VIP tickets, pics, video and a guide to parade volunteering and participation.
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.