The 95th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The 95th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be held on November 25th, 2021 in New York City, and will be shown to viewers live on NBC that same day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST. It will be hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker. Participating celebrities will include Andy Grammer, Foreigner, Kristin Chenoweth, Jimmie Allen, Kelly Rowland and Kim Petras.

There are currently 0 days, 7 hours, 34 minutes and 17 seconds until the 2021 Macy’s Parade.

Parade Lineup

Listed below is the current information known about the 2021 line of march. More information will be added as time goes by and new/returning Parade units are announced.

Bold indicates a new Parade unit, and * indicates a retired Parade unit.

Balloons

Giant Balloons

• Ada Twist, Scientist (Netflix) – 1st time
• Red Titan from Ryan’s World (Sunlight Entertainment and pocket.watch) – 2nd time
• Chase from PAW Patrol (Nickelodeon) – 5th time
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Abrams Books) – 6th time
• The Boss Baby (DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures) – 2nd time
• Sinclair’s DINO (Sinclair Oil Corporation) – 7th time
• Goku (Toei Animation, Inc.) – 3rd time
• Grogu (Funko and Lucasfilm) – 1st time
• Astronaut Snoopy (Peanuts Worldwide) – 3rd time
• Ronald McDonald (McDonald’s) – 1st time
• SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary (Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants) – 3rd time
• Sonic the Hedgehog (SEGA) – 4th time
• Papa Smurf (Nickelodeon) – 4th time
• Pillsbury Doughboy (Pillsbury) – 8th time
• Pikachu & Eevee (The Pokémon Company International) – 1st time

Heritage Balloons

• Smokey Bear (U.S. Department of Agriculture – Forest Service) – 3rd time
• Santa Starflakes (Universal Orlando Resort) – 1st time

Novelty Balloons

• Opening Macy’s Stars (Macy’s) – 4th time
• Pumpkins (Macy’s) – 8th time
• Acorn (Macy’s) – 4th time
• Arrtle the Pirate (Macy’s) – 3rd time
• Yellow Macy’s Stars (Macy’s) – 6th time
• Blue & White Macy’s Stars (Macy’s) – 4th time
• Ice Cream Cone (Macy’s) – 2nd time
• Happy Hippo (Macy’s) – 4th time
• Red & Green Candy Cane (Macy’s) – 2nd time
• Snow Crystal Ornaments (Macy’s) – 11th time
• Tiptoe (Macy’s) – 1st time
• “Believe” Stars (Macy’s) – 6th time

Balloonicles

• Dishmates (HEINZ) – 1st time
• Baby DINOs (Sinclair Oil Corporation) – 4th time
• Go Bowling (GoBowling.com) – 4th time

Trycaloons

• Tough Guy and Bulldog (Macy’s) – 10th time
• Nutcracker and Mouse King (Macy’s) – 9th time

Floats

• Birds of a Feather Stream Together (Peacock) – 1st time
• Celebration Gator (Louisiana Office of Tourism) – 1st time
• Colossal Wave of Wonder (Kalahari Resorts and Conventions) – 1st time
• Magic Meets the Sea (Disney Cruise Line) – 1st time
• Tiptoe’s North Pole (Macy’s) – 1st time
• Winning Winter Together (MassMutual/NHL) – 1st time
• 1-2-3 Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop) – 17th time
• Big Turkey Spectacular (Jennie-O) – 2nd time
• Big City Cheer! (Spirit of America Productions) – 6th time
• Blue’s Clues & You! (Nickelodeon) – 3rd time
• The Brick-Changer (The LEGO Group) – 3rd time
• Christmas in Town Square (Lifetime) – 2nd time
• Deck the Halls (Balsam Hill) – 5th time
• Elf Pets (The Lumistella Company) – 3rd time
• Everyone’s Favorite Bake Shop (Entenmann’s) – 5th time
• Fantasy Chocolate Factory (Kinder) – 3rd time
• Harvest in the Valley (Green Giant) – 5th time
• Her Future is STEM-Sational (Olay) – 2nd time
• Heartwarming Holiday Countdown (Hallmark Channel) – 7th time
• Home Sweet Home (Cracker Barrel Old Country Store) – 3rd time
• Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree (Macy’s) – 4th time
• Mount Rushmore’s American Pride (South Dakota Department of Tourism) – 12th time
• Rexy in the City (COACH) – 3rd time
• Santa’s Sleigh (Macy’s) – 13th time
• Santa Express (Universal Orlando Resort) – 27th time
• Snoopy’s Doghouse (Peanuts Worldwide) – 2nd time
• Tom Turkey (Macy’s) – 4th time
• Toy House of Marvelous Milestones (New York Life) – 3rd time

Specialty Units

• Gravy Pirates (HEINZ) – 1st time
• NYPD Highway Patrol Motorcycle Unit – 37th time
• Macy’s Starlets (Macy’s) – 4th time
• Big Red Shoe Car (McDonald’s) – 22nd time

Toy Floats

• Rocking Giraffe (Macy’s) – 11th time
• Rocking Lobster (Macy’s) – 32nd time
• Rocking Moose (Macy’s) – 6th time

Marching Bands

• Lincoln-Way Marching Band (Frankfort, IL), will perform “Metamorphosis”
• Macy’s Great American Marching Band (Nationwide), will perform “Strike Up the Band”
• NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY)
• Ann Richards Marching Stars (Austin, TX), will perform “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”
• Centerville Jazz Band (Centerville, OH), will perform “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
• Hampton University Marching Force (Hampton, VA), will perform “A Celebration of Family”
• Sound of Brownsburg Marching Band (Brownsburg, IN), will perform “Mirko”
• Trabuco Hills High School Thundering Mustangs Marching Unit (Mission Viejo, CA), will perform “Pure Imagination”
• Union High School Renegade Regiment (Tulsa, OK), will perform “Oklahoma”
• University of Alabama Million Dollar Band (Tuscaloosa, AL), will perform “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”

Guest Stars

• The Cast of Girls5eva, will sing “Famous 5eva” (Birds of a Feather Stream Together)
• Jon Batiste, will sing “I NEED YOU” (Celebration Gator)
• Nelly, will sing “Lil Bit” (Colossal Wave of Wonder)
• Jordan Fisher, will sing “Together We Set Sail” (Magic Meets the Sea)
• Captain Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Cinderella, Tiana, Aladdin and Jasmine (Magic Meets the Sea)
• Polar Bear and Penguin (Tiptoe’s North Pole)
• Mickey Guyton (Winning Winter Together)
• The Cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, will sing “See Us Coming Together” (1-2-3 Sesame Street)
• Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier (Big City Cheer!)
• Ronald McDonald, Grimace and Hamburglar (Big Red Shoe Car)
• Tai Verdes, will sing “A-O-K” (Big Turkey Spectacular)
• Josh Dela Druz, Steve Burns and Donovan Patton, will sing “You Can’t Spell Blue without YOU” (Blue’s Clues & You!)
• Zoe Wees (The Brick-Changer)
• Kelly Rowland, will sing “Wonderful Time” (Christmas in Town Square)
• Kristin Chenoweth (Deck the Halls)
• Elf on the Shelf Scout Elves (Elf Pets)
• Andy Grammer, will sing “Damn It Feels Good To Be Me” (Everyone’s Favorite Bake Shop)
• Darren Criss, will sing “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas (Fantasy Chocolate Factory)
• Kyle Troup and Shannon O’Keefe (Go Bowling)
• Jimmie Allen (Harvest in the Valley)
• Rob Thomas (Heartwarming Holiday Countdown)
• aespa, will sing “Savage” (Her Future is STEM-Sational)
• Tauren Wells (Home Sweet Home)
• Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree Choir (Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree)
• Chris Lane, will sing “I Don’t Know About You” (Mount Rushmore’s American Pride)
• Mount Rushmore Mascots (Mount Rushmore’s American Pride)
• Kim Petras, will sing “I Don’t Want It At All” with Boss Kids (Rexy in the City)
• Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus (Santa’s Sleigh)
• Charlie Brown (Snoopy’s Doghouse)
• Foreigner, will sing “I Want To Know What Love Is” (Toy House of Marvelous Milestones)

Specialty Characters

• Geoffrey the Giraffe

Performance Groups

• The Accidentals Quartet (New York, NY), will sing “I’m a Toys “R” Us Kid”
• Ballet Hispànico School of Dance (New York, NY)
• Broadway Education Alliance Youth Choir (New York, NY)
• Fred Astaire Dance Studios (New York, NY)
• Indigenous Direction
• J.U.M.P. (Strongsville, OH), will perform “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”
• Opening Cheer Group (Nationwide)
• St. John’s Dance Team (Queens, NY)
• Spirit of America Cheer (Nationwide)
• Spirit of America Dance Stars (Nationwide)
• Young People’s Chorus of NYC (New York, NY)

Pre-Parade Acts

• SIX the Musical, will perform “Ex Wives”
• Moulin Rouge! The Musical, will perform “The Sparkling Diamond”
• Wicked, will perform “One Short Day”
• Carrie Underwood, will sing “Favorite Time of Year”
• NBC’s Annie Live!
• The Radio City Rockettes

Clowns

• Artist Clowns – 17th time
• Aviator Clowns – 2nd time
• Baseball All-Stars – 19th time
• Birthday Party Clowns – 28th time
• Circus Clowns – 10th time
• City Tourist Clowns – 7th time
• Corny-Copia Clowns – 17th time
• Funny Farm Clowns – 18th time
• Funny First Responders – 1st time
• Funny Flurry Clowns – 3rd time
• Half-Baked Holiday Sweets – 14th time
• Hoedown Clowns – 9th time
• Holiday Clowns – 15th time
• Jester Clowns – 15th time
• Malt Shop Clowns – 14th time
• Nutty Professor Einsteins & Wacky Graduate Clowns – 20th time
• Nutty-Cracker Ballet Clowns – 11th time
• Parade Brigade Clowns – 5th time
• Pre-K Clowns – 14th time
• Rag Doll Clowns – 15th time
• Safari Clowns – 15th time
• Santa’s Toy Box Clowns – 15th time
• Silly Sailors – 5th time
• Silly Seaside Clowns & Sea Creatures – 40th time
• Sleepy Clowns – 20th time
• Spacey Clowns – 1st time
• Springtime Clowns – 18th time
• Super Hero Clowns – 2nd time
• Turkey Tech Players & Sports Fans – 11th time
• Wedding Bell-Y Laffs Limo Service Clowns – 2nd time
• Wintertime Clowns – 4th time

Stilt Walkers

• Candy Canes – 11th time
• Christmas Trees – 7th time
• Chrysler Building & Empire State Building – 4th time
• Cowboy & Cowgirl – 7th time
• Elves – 3rd time
• Entenmann’s Bakers – 5th time
• Groom – 2nd time
• Hibiscus – 5th time
• Louisiana Stilt Walkers – 1st time
• Lumberjacks – 2nd time
• Pencils – 9th time
• Sea Anemone – 8th time
• Statue of Liberty – 4th time
• Snowflakes – 7th time
• Toy Soldiers – 11th time

Clown Cars

• Produce Wagons – 27th time
• Fire Truck Clown Vehicle – 30th time
• Taxi Cab of Clowns – 12th time
• Half-Baked Delivery Truck – 5th time

Trivia

• The 95th annual procession will mark the return of the 2.5-mile long Parade route, with spectators once again being allowed to line the streets of New York City. The 2021 Macy’s Parade health and safety procedures include, but are not limited to the following:
  • All volunteer participants and staff will be vaccinated. Vaccine verification will be conducted at all back of house entry points. A few exceptions to this procedure may be made at the sole discretion of Macy’s and its medical consultant based on select extenuating circumstances. For those rare instances, Macy’s medical consultant will administer COVID-19 testing and clear the individual for Parade participation.
  • All participants and staff regardless of vaccination status will wear face coverings and additional protective equipment, as warranted by their role. As appropriate, exceptions may include singers, dancers and musicians performing down the route or for the national broadcast.
  • Macy’s will implement a reduction in the overall number of participants of between 10 to 20 percent (approximately 800 to 1,600 participants).
  • Social distancing practices will be in place at all interior/exterior Parade operations including costuming areas, seating and participant check-in.
• On September 8th, 2021, Macy’s released the initial production plan for that years Parade:
  • Marching band, cheer and specialty group performances originally slated for the 2020 Parade will take place this year live in New York City.
  • Macy’s signature giant character balloons will once again be flown with 80-100 handlers, the flight management team and its anchor vehicle.
  • The return of Macy’s Balloon Inflation event is currently under consideration. More information will be announced in November.
  • Details on the exact public viewing locations including viewing maps, entry guidelines and restrictions will be announced in November. Spectators are encouraged to check macys.com/parade in advance of their travel to the Parade route.