The 98th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place on November 28th and features 22 large balloons, 34 amazing floats, 7 “balloons” with wheels and more.

NBC’s “TODAY” show stars Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will also host the parade in 2024.

What is the parade route?

The parade begins at 8:30 a.m. ET at West 77th Street and Central Park West and ends at 12:00 p.m. ET at the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street.

There are 2.5 miles of designated public viewing areas along Route 2024. Spectators are advised to arrive as early as 6:00 a.m. to secure the best seats.

Rain is forecast for Thursday in New York City, so bring your ponchos!

• Central Park West: Great views can be found along Central Park West from West 75th Street to West 61st Street. However, there is no public viewing in Central Park West between West 59th Street and West 60th Street.
• 6th Avenue: The best views are from West 59th to West 38th Street as close to the end of the parade as possible, but spectators should avoid the area on 6th Avenue between West 34th and West 38th Streets, where visibility is limited.

How to watch it at home?

The parade will air from 8:30 a.m. ET to 12:00 p.m. ET on NBC and will be simulcast on Peacock, with an encore presentation on NBC at 2:00 p.m. EST.

NBC and Peacock are owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.

Who is performing this year?

28 exciting entertainers, 11 musical marching bands, 28 clown crews and 11 performance groups will perform throughout the parade’s nearly four-hour duration.

Stars like Jennifer Hudson, Lea Salonga, T-Pain, Rachel Platten, Idina Menzel, Dan + Shay and The Temptations will perform along with dancer and TikToker Charli D’Amelio and ballet stars Tilers Peck and Roman Mejia.

Members of the WNBA champion New York Liberty and mascot Ellie the Elephant will also perform.

Broadway’s best will showcase their talents, including actors from the musicals “Death Becomes Her,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Outsiders.”

And not to be outdone, Santa rounds out the lineup on his famous sleigh, the largest float in the parade at 60 feet long, 22 feet wide and 3 1/2 stories high.

What’s new this year?

Six new balloons have been confirmed for this year’s parade, including Minnie Mouse, Extraordinary Noorah & The Elf on the Shelf and a brand new Spider-Man balloon inspired by the art of comic book artist John Romita Sr..

Six new floats will also make their parade debut this year, including “Candy Cosmos” by Haribo, “Pasta Knight” by Rao’s Homemade and “Wondrous World of Wildlife” by the Bronx Zoo, which celebrates the zoo’s animals and popular exhibits. and Netflix’s “Wednesday’s Feast,” featuring an likeness of Jenna Ortega from the hit series.

In addition, three new “Balloonicles” were created, smaller balloons attached to bicycles that roll along the route.

How are the balloons prepared for flight?

Take a look at Macy’s signature giant balloons being prepared for their Thanksgiving flights on Wednesday on the Upper West Side.

From 1:00 p.m. EST to 6:00 p.m. EST, members of the public can get a behind-the-scenes look at parade preparation by joining the line at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue and driving to the Natural History Museum where the Balloons are inflated and displayed.