Macy’s Thanksgiving daily parade flies in viral times

The balloons were in the sky and the marching bands took to the streets at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on Thursday

NEW YORK – The balloons were in the sky and marching bands marched into the streets during Thursday’s annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, but the restrictions of the coronavirus meant that without a crowd of people usually dancing for a view.

Instead of a trail across Manhattan, this year’s parade was held in the area in front of Macy’s flagship and targeted a television audience instead of a live crowd.

Of course, there were some familiar balloon faces, including Snoopy, Ronald McDonald, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

But the larger balloons lacked the many handlers who usually walked underneath and grabbed the ropes. This year, they were tied to vehicles that kept them moving and reduced the number of people needed.

A number of performers have performed, including Pentatonix, Keke Palmer and Sofia Carson, and a number of Broadway shows have been represented for their performances.

Even with the pandemic protocols, the fact that the parade took place made the city a rare celebration where most of the major events were canceled due to the virus last year.

The organizers of the parade recognized this reality, including representatives of some New York parades that had not yet taken place – the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Mermaid Parade, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, and the NYC Pride March.