Macy’s Thanksgiving parade takes flight in Virus Times – NBC Los Angeles

Balloons were in the sky and marching bands took to the streets for Macy’s annual Thanksgiving parade on Thursday, but coronavirus restrictions meant it was without the crowds of people who usually scrambled for a view.

Instead of its typical path through Manhattan, this year’s parade was kept in the area in front of Macy’s flagship store and aimed at a TV audience rather than live crowds.

There were of course some familiar balloon faces, including Snoopy, Ronald McDonald, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

But the larger balloons missed the many handlers who would normally walk underneath and hold the ropes. This year they were attached to vehicles that kept them moving and reduced the number of people needed.

A number of artists have performed, including Pentatonix, Keke Palmer and Sofia Carson, and a large number of Broadway shows have been featured in recorded performances of their castings.

Even with pandemic protocols, the fact that the parade took place made it a rare party in a city that has seen most of its major events canceled in the past year due to the virus.

Parade organizers acknowledged this reality, including representatives from some of the New York parades that failed to perform – the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Mermaids Parade, the Puerto Rican Day Parade and the New York pride march.