Despite the cold, the balloons fly to Macy's Thanksgiving parade – Entertainment News

NEW YORK (AP) – SpongeBob, Charlie Brown and other giant balloons were allowed to take off just before Macy's Thanksgiving parade which kicked off in the fierce winds and some of the coldest temperatures in its history.

The 21 degrees initially made it one of the coldest Thanksgivings in the city for decades. Forecasts indicated sustained winds of up to 20 mph and gusts of 30 mph. The municipal authorities let the balloons rise, although their height is significantly lower.

Some of the balloons flew a few meters above the people who were holding their ties. The balloon's outstretched hand "The diary of a Wimpy kid" seemed to hit some of his masters on his head covered with a woolen hat.

Spectators refused to let the cold darken the parade's observation, taking out the blankets and sleeping bags to watch the giant balloons go by.

Tony Stout camped with his extended family since 2 am to make sure they had a good view of his son, who was participating in the parade with the Ohio State University fanfare. They traveled from Columbus, Ohio, for the parade.

"Ohhh, I'm frozen and numb, but excited," he says.

Dylan Mahoney, who has been attending the parade every year for a dozen years, said that he stayed warm in layers, including several pairs of socks.

"It's one of the coldest," he said, but "we've already watched in the rain."

He added that he loved the tradition of attending the parade, starting from Leonia, New Jersey, early in the morning to see the groups and balloons and run for a good place.

Diana Ross, John Legend, Martina McBride and the Muppets of "Sesame Street" had to perform in freezing cold.

Thursday has the potential to be the coldest Thanksgiving in New York City since 1901, when the temperature had only reached 26 degrees. The coldest ever recorded was in 1871, while the hottest was 22 degrees.

Macy's parade did not begin until 1924.

The city of New York has issued an extreme cold alert and urges all who go to the outdoors to wear hats, scarves, gloves and clothes on top of each other, as well as to cover their fingers, their lobes. Ears and nose to prevent frostbite.

Police Commissioner James O'Neill said that thousands of officers will be posted along the parade route. They include counterterrorism teams with shoulder guns, plainclothes officers mingled with the crowd and a new K-9 team capable of detecting explosives at a hundred meters.

The parade runs 46 blocks west of Central Park to Macy's flagship store in downtown Manhattan.

The parade will bring together approximately 8,000 marchers, including high school bands from across the country, and two dozen tanks, which will culminate with the arrival of Santa Claus.

Ross, 74, was playing a song from her new Christmas album and she was accompanied by family members, including her daughter Tracee Ellis Ross, a star on the show "Black-ish". ABC and his son actor Evan Ross.

Bad Bunny, Kane Brown and Ella Mai, Pentatonix, Rita Ora, Sugarland, Anika Pink Noni, Barenaked Ladies, Leona Lewis, Fifth Harmony's Ally Brooke, Bazzi, Ashley Tisdale and Carly Pearce are also part of the range.

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