By India McCarty
Thanksgiving — and the Macy’s 99th Thanksgiving Day Parade — are right around the corner! Here’s everything we know about this year’s celebration.
“I think the 99th parade lets you know that the 100th is coming,” Brendan Kennedy, director of creative production, told Parade. “It’s 99 parades and counting. That’s really what we’re doing, and so this is a huge deal for us.”
Kennedy promised this year’s parade will “be huge,” teasing, “There’s a lot of firsts this year in [the] parade…there’s something for everyone.”
“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the official kickoff to the holiday season and has been part of the nation’s stories and traditions for generations,” Will Coss, the executive producer of the parade, said in a statement. “The most wonderful stories start at the parade. On Thanksgiving morning, larger-than-life character balloons, awe-inspiring floats and showstopping performances will create unforgettable moments and lasting holiday memories for millions of spectators in New York City and across the country.”
Related: Macy’s, NBCUniversal Ink Major Deal for Thanksgiving Day Parade
In an interview with TV Insider, Coss shared, “We are the largest and hopefully most entertaining variety show on television. Friends, strangers, family come together for an opportunity to just be together.”
2025’s parade will include six new floats, including a STRANGER THINGS-themed float, as well as four new character balloons — Buzz Lightyear, PAC-MAN, Shrek’s Onion Carriage and Nintendo’s Mario.
“We’re bringing it back to our roots, but we’re adding some new technologies to it,” Coss said of the new floats, revealing that the STRANGER THINGS float will include a Demogorgon with moving arms and a mouth that opens and closes.
He added, “It’ll give this real sense of live theater along the parade route.”
There will also be appearances from stars like Ciara, Gavin DeGraw, Meg Donnelly, Mickey Guyton, Jewel, Darlene Love, Nikki DeLoach, Kristoffer Polaha and Kool & the Gang, and many more!
TODAY stars Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker will host the parade’s broadcast, alongside a returning Hoda Kotb.
“This year, I think, is a good representation of, as we like to say, our 1 to 100 [age] demographic,” Coss said. “We really want to aim to ensure that everyone across America has a little something to dial into. We are the soundtrack of parade morning and excited about the lineup that we have pulled together. And of course, there’ll be some more surprises released in the upcoming weeks.”
It looks like Macy’s has plenty of exciting things planned for this year’s parade. We can’t wait!
Read Next: How Much Does the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Cost?
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