New York — Messi Thanksgiving Parade It kicks off on Thursday in New York City, with new balloons depicting Buzz Lightyear and Pac-Man set to take to the skies and floats featuring Labubu and Lego decorating the streets.
The parade is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. EST, rain or shine, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and will end at the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street.
It’s expected to be a cool day in the city, with temperatures in the 40s, but wind gusts between 25 mph (40 kph) and 30 mph (48 kph) will make it even colder, according to David Stark, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New York.
Officials have been monitoring the forecast closely since then City law prohibits it Macy’s prohibits full-size balloons from flying if sustained wind speeds exceed 23 mph (37 km/h) or wind speeds exceed 35 mph (56 km/h). Weather has only stopped balloons off the ground once, in 1971, but they have also done so sometimes. It rose lower than usual due to the wind.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said authorities would decide Thursday morning whether any modifications to the balloon were needed.
She said in a press conference on Wednesday that there are no known, specific, credible threats to the event, but as usual, thousands of police officers will be stationed along the route.
The parade has been a magnet for protests in the past two years, with pro-Palestinian demonstrators taking part I entered the parade route. Police are “prepared to deal with this and any other situations that come our way,” Tesch said.
A star-studded lineup of acts will be spread throughout the show, along with a slew of bands, dancers and cheerleaders. Includes performers “evil” star Cynthia ErivoConan Gray, Lenny Wilson, foreign, Lil Jon, W Audrey Nona, EJAE and Rey Ami From HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group at the center of this year’s Netflix hit “Demon Hunters in K-Pop.” the Radio City Rockets There will also be cast members from Broadway’s “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Just in Time” and “Ragtime.”
Finally, the parade is expected to feature dozens of balloons, floats, clown groups and marching bands — all leading the way for Santa Claus. Among the new balloons that will be displayed is a large onion truck featuring eight characters from the world of… a partner“KPop Demon Hunters” will also be represented in the sky by the characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie.
The event will be broadcast on NBC and will be hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker of the “Today” show and their former colleague Hoda Kotb. On Telemundo, the hosts will be Andrea Meza, Aleida Ortiz and Clovis Nino.
The show is also simulcast on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.