Macy’s said Wednesday that the public will once again be able to line the streets of New York City to watch its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade live.
This year’s event will mark the 95th iteration of Macy’s iconic balloon-filled parade. Live musical performances will be back as well, including march bands that were orginally expected to perform in last year’s parade.
Last year, the event was dramatically pared down due to the Covid pandemic.
“We are thrilled to welcome back in its full form the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. “We applaud Macy’s work to creatively continue this beloved tradition last year.”
Macy’s said that all volunteer participants and staff must be vaccinated against Covid-19. In order to implement social distancing along the parade route, Macy’s said it will cut the number of participants by up to 20%, or about 800 to 1,600 participants.
The department store chain also said that it is still considering how to handle the balloon inflation public viewing, which takes place the night before the parade.
Macy’s added that it will continue to monitor evolving health trends and is prepared to implement contingency plans, if needed.
