As the nation gathers to celebrate and give thanks with family and
friends, the biggest spectacle of the holiday season returns to
entertain millions, as the 88th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving
Day Parade® hits the streets of New York City. On Thursday,
Nov. 27 at 9 a.m., more than 8,000 participants, some donning clown
costumes, handling balloon giants or striking up the band, will set down
the streets of Manhattan at the sound of the time honored catchphrase Let’s
Have a Parade™. With a live audience, more than 3.5
million strong and a nationwide television gathering of more than 50
million viewers, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the nation’s most
beloved holiday pageant.
The 88th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off the holiday season on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2104 with its signature pomp and pageantry. (Photo: Business Wire)
“This is a record breaking year for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
as we debut the largest new cast of giant character balloons ever
assembled, along with five amazing new floats. Tens of millions of
spectators will be amazed by what we have in store,” said Amy Kule,
executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “In addition to an
incredible line up of celebrity performers, America’s best high school
and college marching bands, hundreds of dancers, cheerleaders, clowns,
and balloon handlers, we are adding some new layers of interactivity to
the Parade for the first time this year. From live cameras on a float
capturing special moments along the route to incredible 360-degree
panoramic photos where fans can find themselves part the action, and
finally, through our Confetti Carpet, the behind-the-scenes look at the
starting line with our celebrity performers, we are bringing the Macy’s
Parade closer to audiences in New York City and in homes across the
country.”
STARS ON PARADE
The star power on Thanksgiving Day comes courtesy of performers from
music, film, sports, theatre and television. As they reach their marks
on 34th Street, the nation will enjoy their spectacular
performances. Joining the festivities this year are the Big Apple
Circus, Before You Exit, William Blake, Sabrina Carpenter, Cirque du
Soleil, Hilary Duff, Renee Fleming, Becky G., Lucy Hale, Nick Jonas,
KISS, Sandra Lee, The Madden Brothers, Idina Menzel, Miss USA 2014- Nia
Sanchez, MKTO, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street,
NEEDTOBREATH, NHL® legends John LeClair and Pat LaFontaine,
Pentatonix, Romeo Santos, Cole Swindell, Meghan Trainor, The Vamps,
Quvenzhané Wallis, and more.
Kicking off the march will be a special group of children who have
embodied the Parade’s spirit of teamwork. Throughout their remarkable
run this past season at the Little League World Series, Philadelphia’s
Taney Dragons displayed an inspiring level of collaboration, spirit and
camaraderie - as perfectly evidenced by the group’s embrace and support
of star pitcher Mo’ne Davis. In honor of that exemplary effort this
year, the Taney Dragons will lead the procession down the streets of
Manhattan with Macy’s Parade executive producer Amy Kule.
GIANTS IN THE SKY
The Parade’s signature giant balloons have for decades showcased the
world’s most recognized characters. This year, Macy’s (NYSE:M) will
introduce the biggest class of new balloons in its history. Six new
giant characters will take to the sky including The Weinstein Company’s
loveable Peruvian bear Paddington™; the always electrifying
Pikachu™; the warm giggling Pillsbury Doughboy®;
the vanquisher of evil the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger; the lava
spewing Skylanders® Eruptor; and the friendly
locomotive Thomas the Tank Engine®.
Rounding out the ballooning line-up are returning favorites including
Adventure Time with Finn & Jake, Diary of A Wimpy Kid®,
The Elf on the Shelf®, Hello Kitty®, Papa Smurf,
Ronald McDonald®, Snoopy and Woodstock, Spider-Man, SpongeBob
SquarePants and Toothless of How to Train Your Dragon. In
addition, the balloon cast includes new balloonicles (a Macy’s Parade
hybrid of cold-air balloon and vehicle) of the famed-spokesduck the
Aflac Duck and Cloe the Holiday Clown, as well as the return of the
KOOL-AID Man. In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the
film classic, balloonheads of The Wizard of OZ™ characters
will also make a special appearance.
FLOATING SCENE MAKERS
Macy’s floating stages take to the streets bringing a collection of
whimsical treats that transport spectators into worlds of fantasy. This
year’s five new fantasy floats include Cracker Jack®
Popcorn’s At the Ball Game; Sino-American Friendship
Association’s Beauty of Beijing, Dora and Friends: Aventuras
Fantasticas, GoldieBlox™’s The Girl-Powered Spinning
Machine, and Pirate Booty®’s Treasure Hunt.
The returning float roster includes 1-2-3 Sesame Street; Big Apple;
Bridge To The Future; Daytime, Play Time, Night Time Too…; Dreamseeker
by Cirque du Soleil®; Enchanting World of Lindt
Chocolate; Frozen Fall Fun; Goldfish® on Parade;
International Cele-bear-ation Clock Tower; It’s All Rock & Roll;
Marion-Carole Showboat; Mount Rushmore’s American Pride; On The Roll
Again; Pep Rally; Santa’s Sleigh; The Smurfs™; Stirrin’ Up
Sweet Sensations; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Tom Turkey; Waves of
Conservation; Winter Wonderland In Central Park; and A World at Sea.
DRUM ROLL, PLEASE…
At the center of the spectacle bringing the warm energy, enthusiasm and
joy of performing are the nation’s best marching bands and rollicking
performance groups. Together they add the musical heart and whimsical
talent portion to the holiday revelry, delighting spectators along the
route and providing television viewers with showstopping performances.
Twelve performance ensembles will take up the call of the baton and
march down the streets of Manhattan creating a wave of excitement.
Joining the Thanksgiving Day revelry are American Fork High School
(American Fork, UT), Bahama All Stars Marching Band (Nassau, Bahamas),
Baldwinsville High School (Baldwinsville, NY), Center Grove High School
(Greenwood, IN), Foothill High School (Henderson, NV), Georgia State
University (Atlanta), Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United
States), Madison Scouts Anniversary Corps (Madison, WI), NYPD Marching
Band (New York City), Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Lexington, KY),
Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC), and Winston Churchill High
School (San Antonio, TX). The supply of sometimes wacky, but always fun
entertainment includes the nation’s best performance groups. Taking the
spotlight along the line of march are the Friendswood High School
Wranglerettes (Friendswood, TX), Harlem Globetrotters, The New Orleans
Baby Doll Ladies featuring Music Ambassador DJ Hektik (New Orleans, LA),
Red Hot Mamas (Post Falls, ID), Spirit of America Dance (United States)
and Varsity Spirit Cheer (United States).
AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE
The celebrity party begins early on Thanksgiving Day via various social
media outlets when fans follow @macys to get special content from the
Confetti Carpet. Pulling back the curtain to check out what happens
backstage before the celebrities join the Parade, the Confetti Carpet
will be the place for wacky and hilarious interactions with our
celebrity cast. The revelry continues once the Parade steps off as the
Cracker Jack At the Ball Game float passes by, giving spectators
the opportunity to participate in the ultimate selfie if they are caught
on the baseball-themed float’s live cameras and beamed to the stadium’s
jumbotron. To cap off Parade day interactive experiences, the New York
Daily News’ Big Apple float will take special panoramic photos all along
the route, which spectators can access via macys.com/parade post event,
to see if they can spot themselves in the stunning 360-degree photos.
Fans nationwide can kick-off their own Parade experiences early by
downloading the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade App. The App will give
fans the chance to interact with the famed march, learn more about the
elements and share content with their friends. From behind-the-scenes
previews to the exclusive Elf-o-matic feature, which allows fans to
transform themselves into an Elf balloon and share their high-flying
debut with friends; the App is a one-stop destination for all things
Macy’s Parade. The free app will be available from the iTunes®
App Store or from Google Play. In addition to the interactive app
experience this year, Macy’s iconic characters return to take center
stage in a series of animated spots featuring Tom Turkey, Cloe the
Holiday Clown, Happy Hippo, the rambunctious Elf trio and more. Catch
the action on macys.com/parade and watch how Macy’s star characters prep
for the big day as they re-enact scenes from classic New York based
movies.
A TELEVISION SPECTACLE
A spectacle like no other, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is broadcast
nationwide on NBC. Regularly one of the nation’s most viewed events,
millions of families tune-in every year to watch the revelry unfold.
This year, the TODAY Show’s Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie
will anchor the three-hour broadcast from 9 a.m. – Noon in all time
zones.
For public information on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade including
the Parade route, spectators tips and more, please visit www.macys.com/parade
or call the Parade hotline at 212-494-4495. Follow @macys and join the
conversation at #MacysParade on various social networks.
Affinia Manhattan Hotel is the official hotel partner of Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Delta Air Lines, New York’s most global
airline is proud to be the official airline of Macy’s Parade.
GMC
Truck is the official truck of the Macy’s Parade.
Timberland is the
official outerwear provider.
Remo is the official drumhead provider.
ALL TALENT, PERFORMANCES, ELEMENTS AND INFORMATION INCLUDED ARE
SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE PRESS
MATERIALS INCLUDING MULTIMEDIA ASSETS ARE AVAILABLE AT
MACYSPARADEPRESS.COM
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20141103005902/en/
Copyright Business Wire 2014