NEW YORK (AP) Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly interrupted Thursday’s rain-soaked Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
After demonstrators sat down on the parade route with Palestinian flags and a Don’t Celebrate Genocide banner, New York City police said that they had arrested 21 people.
Last year’s procession was also disrupted by protesters against Israel’s assault in Gaza.
In addition to the customary lineup of enormous balloons, floats, and star-studded performances, this year’s parade featured a lot of ponchos and umbrellas because of the rainy weather.
New Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, floats with zoo and pasta themes, a tribute to Big Apple coffee and bagels, performances by Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel, and Kylie Minogue, and more were all part of the most recent iteration of the yearly holiday custom.
When the parade first began a century ago, it had floats depicting scenes from Mother Goose, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, Miss Muffet and the Spider, and other fairy tales. The lineup was very different from that.
However, certain things didn’t change. There are a lot of clowns and marching bands, just like in 1924, before the big finale, when Santa Claus rides through Manhattan to greet the holidays.
17 enormous character balloons filled with helium, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups, award-winning actors and singers, and the WNBA champion New York Liberty were all part of this year’s parade.
Other highlights were Broadway veteran Lea Salonga, Glow actor and Macy’s spokesperson Alison Brie, hip-hop artist T-Pain, country combo Dan + Shay, The War and Treaty, The Temptations, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, and reality TV personality Ariana Madix.
One unique float, which used real pasta components to depict a knight and a dragon engaged in combat, highlighted the Rao’s food brand. Another used images of a tiger, giraffe, zebra, and gorilla to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Bronx Zoo.
“What drives us every day is the work we do, the chance to make a difference in the lives of millions of people, and to provide a little happiness for a few hours on Thanksgiving morning,” said Will Coss, executive producer of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The procession started on the Upper West Side of Manhattan at 8:30 a.m. and ended at the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, which acts as a stage and backdrop for performances, 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away at noon.
The parade has only been canceled three times, during World War II, from 1942 to 1944, but the rain isn’t halting anything. Throughout the celebrations, organizers are keeping an eye on wind speeds to ensure that the large balloons can fly safely.
With highs in the upper 40s, rain throughout morning, and winds of around 10 mph (16 kph), the weather is perfectly suitable for allowing Snoopy, Bluey, and their pals to soar. In accordance with New York City regulations, Macy’s is not allowed to fly the full-size balloons when sustained winds surpass 23 mph (37 kph) or wind gusts surpass 35 mph (56 kph).
NBC’s Peacock service streams the parade, which is hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker. Telemundo’s Spanish simulcast will be hosted by Carlos Adyan and Andrea Meza.
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