The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

What I’ll keep my eyes out for tomorrow morning

The holiday season is upon us, the most wonderful time of the year! I always feel an overwhelming sense of hopefulness from November to December. After taking stock of the previous 10 months, whether good or bad, I am always assured that the new calendar year is right around the corner, a blank state for greater fortunes. However, Thanksgiving makes me quite sad. This was my mom and I's holiday. All day we would be in the kitchen preparing the turkey, green beans, stuffing, these Bon Appetit Orange Yam Cups, and my favorite activity of making homemade cranberry sauce (I loved watching the little berries pop). We would start the morning with cinnamon rolls and turn on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the cheers emitting from the TV encouraging us during our cooking marathon. I have never missed a parade, even into adulthood and without my head chef I watch it every year and reminisce about the past perfect holidays, her and I doing what we do best: talk, laugh, help each other, cook. When I first moved to the city in 2018, I HAD to see the parade in person. So, on the coldest day on record for the parade (it was 12 degrees out), I headed over to the Upper West Side a few blocks down from the start of the extravaganza. Being from a desert, I did not have any shoes that could withstand this temperature and was planning on making my first snow boots purchase the next day because sales are what the Friday after Thanksgiving is for. I lasted maybe an hour outside because my toes were so cold I couldn’t feel them and Ubered home to watch the reminder of the parade on TV. Despite the temperature anomaly that year, I haven’t gone out to see the parade irl in years since. It’s just hits better when you’re warm and wearing pajamas at home! Below are a few of the things I will be keeping my eye out for when I watch from the comfort of my couch with a hot cup of coffee in hand tomorrow morning:

Cher

It’s Thanks*giving*Cher!!!!! Now this is using corporate money for good! Nearly all of the scheduled performers this year I haven’t heard of or don’t excite me, both who needs them when you have CHER!!! I’ve also been craving a Moonstruck rewatch since it’s one of my favorite not-formally-holiday-but-very-much-holiday film.

Beagle Scout Snoopy

Much like my favorite girls Hello Kitty and Barbie, Snoopy is a jack of all trades. Name a job he hasn’t done! Last year he was in his astronaut regalia preparing to make his way to outer space (I can never complain about my schedule because this beagle stays booked and busy). This year, him and his bff Woodstock are heading into the great outdoors to promote their new Apple + series Camp Snoopy.

Palace of Sweets

Brach’s is the #1 festive candy company. Their artificially colored, waxy, too sweet confections flavor the entirety of October through December. I’m honestly surprised this float is only entering the lineup this year as they are the only holiday candy purveyors (candies in corn and cane form, gumdrops, caramels, and how can we forget that they released jelly beans in Thanksgiving meal flavors!), which is far more fun than what Green Giant is shelling out (love the flower outfits that the volunteers are wearing this year though).  

The Pillsbury Doughboy

Obviously, Pillsbury is another classic brand folks reach for when whipping up tasty seasonal treats. I always thought the Doughboy was a sweet mascot and never scared me unlike some past featured balloons (I HATE ELF ON THE SELF, IT IS SCARY.)

Pikachu and Eevee

There are countless cute creatures in the Pokémon universe, but Pikachu and Eevee are the reigning stars. In past years, Pikachu has flown solo but it is wonderful to see these cuties return on their pokeball sled! 

Uncle Dan

I don't know who this duck is, but I know he is living the life all the ducks in Central Park strive for. Gleefully staring down a giant sandwich while being paraded around the city, this is what dreams are made of!

Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree

I love creative festive engineering! The good people at New York Magazine also published a fascinating article about the creation of these floats that I encourage you to read. According to the Macy’s website, each year they sing an original holiday carol once they hit the main stage at 34th Street.

TipToe

When I was little girl, my grandparents took me to the Pantages theater in Los Angeles to see a production of The Lion King (which was also one of my favorite movies, so much so that I always made my mom stop was she was doing the exact moment they raised Simba in the air so she could lift me up too). It was the most magical thing I had ever seen, the seamless puppetry of the animals and their human motors. Although TipToe doesn’t exhibit, the same Broadway caliber illusion, they are the only walking balloon in this production! 

Radio City Rockets

They’re not officially listed in the programming for the parade this year, but much like Santa Claus, the parade is invalid without their presence! The high-stepping holiday cheerleaders quite literally kick off the season of all things glitter and joy. Their precise, sync movements are hypnotic. Of all typical holiday offerings this city offers during this time of year, I have never seen them in action in person and hope to change this next month!

Tom Turkey

Gobble gobble gobble! The forever chairman of the parade, the moment, the legend! Tom is here every Thanksgiving morning welcoming parade-watchers far and wide! He was the cheerleader my mom and I had each holiday as we began our marathon cooking extravaganza. 

Authors Note:

Once again, I am asking to bring back my girl Hello Kitty!