On Thursday, November 24 at 9:00 AM, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022 iconic spectacle will bring the nation together in celebration with a dazzling lineup featuring giant character helium balloons, fantastic floats, showstopping marching bands, high-spirited performance groups, whimsical clowns, music stars and the one-and-only Santa Claus.
This year’s 96th Macy’s Parade will feature more than 5,000 volunteers, 16 giant character balloons, 28 floats, 40 novelty and heritage inflatables, more than 700 clowns, 12 marching bands and 10 performance groups, a host of musical stars, and the one and-only Santa Claus.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Time 2022
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022 starts at 9:00 AM ET.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022 Route
For spectators wishing to enjoy the live spectacle in New York City, the parade kicks off from its traditional starting line at 77th Street and Central Park West.
From there the procession will march down its signature 2.5-mile route taking it from Central Park West to Columbus Circle, turning onto Central Park South and then marching down 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas.
At 34th Street, the Parade will make its final turn west and end at 7th Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square.
The route map can be found here.
Where to Watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Legend:
- A: Kickoff – West 77th Street & Central Park West at 9am ET. No (or limited) public viewing here.
- B: Central Park West – Early risers arrive starting at 6am ET on the west side of Central Park West from West 75th to West 61st Streets. Great views can be found along this stretch. Please note: no public viewing on Central Park West between West 59th & West 60th Streets.
- C: Columbus Circle – The Parade turns here onto Central Park South. No public viewing here.
- D: 6th Avenue. Great views from West 59th to West 38th Streets!
- F: Restricted viewing. Avoid watching on 6th Avenue between West 34th & West 38th Streets & on West 34th Street between 6th & 7th Avenues. The national television broadcast limits viewing here.
- G: Macy’s Herald Square. The Parade makes its final turn & stops in front of Macy’s Herald Square. No public viewing here.
Public viewing will be set up along designated portions of the route and managed by the NYPD. Spectators should avoid bringing large bags, umbrellas, backpacks, and strollers.
The public entering viewing streets may be subject to security search.
No public viewing or press access in the telecast area on 6th Avenue from West 34th to West 38th Streets & on West 34th Street between Broadway & 7th Avenue. No public viewing on Central Park West between West 59th & West 60th Streets. Limited public viewing on the south side of West 34th Street between Broadway & 7th Avenue.
Tickets for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022
Unfortunately, limited seating areas are not available to the general public & tickets are not for sale.
Stars on 34th Street
The holiday season’s biggest stage for entertainment is the Macy’s Parade and this year a host of stars will join the lineup to celebrate with the nation.
Joining the festivities will be Paula Abdul; Big Time Rush; Cam; Jordan Davis; Blue’s Clues & You! host Josh Dela Cruz; Gloria, Sasha and Emily Estefan; Jimmy Fallon & The Roots; Fitz and the Tantrums; Kirk Franklin; Mario Lopez and family; Ziggy Marley; Miss America 2022 Emma Broyles; the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street®; Sean Paul; the cast of Peacock’s Pitch Perfect:
Bumper in Berlin (Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland and Flula Borg); Joss Stone; Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue; Jordin Sparks; Dionne Warwick; Betty Who; and Santa Claus. With additional talent to be announced.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons
Conceived during the Parade’s infancy, the giant character balloons have become a signature of the annual celebration.
Since 1927, the world’s most popular characters have been transformed into high-flying art in the sky.
Originally inspired by marionettes, the Parade’s balloons first debuted as upside down puppets filled with air which were carried down the Parade route on sticks.
The design later evolved to include helium, making them high-flying giants.
Over time Macy’s artists innovated creating several types of inflatables including balloonheads (inflated heads sitting atop of a costumed participant), balloonicles (hybrid inflatables with vehicles inside) and most recently, trycaloons (tandem tricycles with an inflated balloon character).
New Balloons
New giants joining the line-up this year include Bluey by BBC Studios; Diary of A Wimpy Kid® by Abrams Books; DINO and Baby DINO by Sinclair Oil; and Stuart the Minion from Illumination.
Returning Balloons
Making return appearances to the skies above New York City are giant balloon favorites including Ada Twist, Scientist by Netflix; Astronaut Snoopy by PEANUTS Worldwide; The Boss Baby from DreamWorks Animation; Goku by Toei Animation; a Funko Pop!-inspired Grogu™ by Funko and in partnership with Lucasfilm;Chase from PAW Patrol® by Nickelodeon; Pillsbury Doughboy™ by Pillsbury™; Red Titan from “Ryan’s World” by Sunlight Entertainment and pocket.watch; Ronald McDonald® by McDonald’s® USA; Papa Smurf from The Smurfs™ by Nickelodeon; Pikachu™ & Eevee™ by The Pokémon Company International; and SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary by Nickelodeon.
New Inflatable
The inflatable lineup also includes a new balloonicle of Striker, the U.S. Soccer Star by FOX Sports.
Returning inflatables include Sinclair’s Baby DINOs, the Go Bowling™balloonicles; Hot Air Dolly by Universal Orlando Resort, Smokey Bear by the USDA Forest Service; and Macy’s very own special reindeer Tiptoe and Toni the Bandleader Bear.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Floats
The Parade’s signature floats transport spectators to magical worlds.
These creations take a theme to new heights bringing magic to the streets of New York City and into homes nationwide.
Conceived and crafted by the incredible artisans of Macy’s Parade Studio – a design and production facility that includes carpenters, engineers, electricians, painters, animators, balloon technicians, sculptors, metal fabricators, scenic and costume designers – this year’s line-up of floats showcase the animated theatricality that the Macy’s Parade has become world-famous for.
New Floats
This year five new floats will debut in the Turkey Day celebration. The floating wonders along with their scheduled performers include Baby Shark by Pinkfong and Nickelodeon (Ziggy Marley); Geoffrey’s Dazzling Dance Party by Toys“R”Us (Jordin Sparks); People of First Light by Macy’s; Supersized Slumber by Netflix (Ballet Hispánico); and The Wondership by Wonder (Cam).
Returning Floats
The returning float roster and its scheduled performers include 1-2-3 Sesame Street® by Sesame Workshop™ (The cast and Muppets of Sesame Street); Big City Cheer by Spirit of America Productions (Miss America 2022 Emma Broyles); Big Turkey Spectacular by Jennie-O (Paula Abdul); Birds of a Feather Stream Together by Peacock® (Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland and Flula Borg); Blue’s Clues & You! by Nickelodeon (Josh Dela Cruz); The Brick-changer by The LEGO® Group (Fitz and the Tantrums); Celebration Gator by the Louisiana Office of Tourism (Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue); Christmas in Town Square by Lifetime® (Kirk Franklin); Colossal Wave of Wonder by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions (Sean Paul); Deck the Halls by Balsam Hill® (Gloria, Sasha and Emily Estefan); Elf Pets® by The Lumistella Company®; Everyone’s Favorite Bake Shop by Entenmann’s®; Fantasy Chocolate Factory by Kinder™ (Big Time Rush); Harvest in the Valley by Green Giant® (Jordan Davis); Heartwarming Holiday Countdown by Hallmark Channel (Joss Stone); Her Future is STEM-Sational by Olay (Betty Who); Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree (Macy’s Choir); Magic Meets the Sea by Disney Cruise Line (Captain Minnie Mouse and Friends); Santa’s Sleigh (Santa Claus); Snoopy’s Doghouse by PEANUTS Worldwide; Tom Turkey (Mario Lopez and family); Toy House of Marvelous Milestones by New York Life (Dionne Warwick); and Winter Wonderland in Central Park (Jimmy Fallon & The Roots).
Check out my post on Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Float & Performances 2022 Lineup for a detailed look,
Strike Up the Band
Bringing the beat to the holiday revelry will be a selection of the most gifted marching ensembles.
Joining the line-up are Benedict College (Columbia, SC), Bourbon County High School (Paris, KY), Carmel High School (Carmel, IN), Clovis North Educational Center (Fresno, CA), Delfines Marching Band (Veracruz, Mexico), Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States), NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY), The Queer Big Apple Corps (New York, NY), South Dakota State University (Brookings, SD), Tarpon Springs High School (Tarpon Springs, FL), University of Missouri (Columbia, MO), and Vandegrift High School (Austin, TX).
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022 Performers
Taking entertainment to the next level will be the Parade’s beloved performance groups who bring joy to the masses.
This year’s lineup will feature performances from the dazzling dancers of Ballet Hispánico, the hilarious Big Apple Circus, the rhythmic movement of Boss Kids, the artistry of the Fusion Winter Guard, two-steps and high kicks from the Kilgore Rangerettes, the puppeteering skills of Phantom Limb, the iconic stepping of The Sigma Gamma Rho Centennial Steppers, the energetic moves of the St. John’s Dance Team, and the exuberance of Spirit of America Cheer and Spirit of America Dance Stars.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade NBC & Streaming
For decades, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been one of the nation’s most anticipated and watched holiday celebrations.
Viewers nationwide can catch all the action for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022 via a special presentation on NBC and streaming on Peacock, from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M., in all time zones.
The TODAY Show’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will be back to host the Emmy®-Award winning celebration.
In order to create a more inclusive experience for blind and visually impaired viewers, NBCUniversal is proud to present the full NBC broadcast with live audio description on the Secondary Audio Program channel (SAP), provided by Descriptive Video Works.
The broadcast will be available with additional audio narration, describing the rich visuals of the Parade.
The pomp and pageantry marching down the streets of New York City is only a portion of the day’s entertainment.
Broadway’s best shows will also perform for the national broadcast audience.
The show will kick off with a spectacular opening number from Lea Michele and the cast of Broadway’s Funny Girl.
With additional Broadway performances from showstoppers A Beautiful Noise, Some Like It Hot,andin celebration of its 25th anniversary Disney’s The Lion King. Rounding out the theatrics will be the iconic Radio City Rockettes®.
And the treats keep coming when the stars of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock on Apple TV+, appear throughout the broadcast. Join Uncle “Travelling” Matt as he goes on an epic journey away from Fraggle Rock friends and family to learn the meaning of the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day” holiday and the impossible to answer question: “What is a parade?”
#MacysParade
For an insider’s look at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022 procession, fans nationwide should visit macys.com/parade for regular updates including behind-the-scenes content, interactive historical information, educational activities, and more. Fans can also follow @macys on various social media networks and join the conversation using #MacysParade.
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