Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Returns, With All the Trimmings

NEW YORK—Crimped by the coronavirus pandemic last year, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade returned Thursday in full, though with precautions. Balloons, floats, marching bands, clowns and performers—and, of course, Santa Claus—once again wended though 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) of Manhattan streets, instead of being confined to one block or sometimes pre-taped last year. Spectators, shut out in 2020, lined the route again. High school and college marching bands from around the country were invited back to the lineup; most of last year’s performers were locally based to cut down on travel. The giant balloons, tethered to vehicles last year, got their costumed handlers back. Parade staffers and volunteers had to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear masks, though some singers and performers were allowed to shed them. There was no inoculation requirement for spectators, but Macy’s and the city encouraged them to cover their faces. A popular pre-parade spectacle—the …

Originally appeared on The Epoch Times

Read More