Category: Culture

Macy’s is once again ready to deliver a dazzling spectacle featuring its signature mix of giant character balloons, floats, marching bands, performance groups, clowns, music stars and the one-and-only Santa Claus

 

Macy’s Balloon Inflation will return to the Upper West Side of Manhattan the day before Thanksgiving; Public viewing on Thanksgiving Day will be available along the traditional 2.5-mile Macy’s Parade route

 

NEW YORK — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #MacysParade — A spectacle like no other returns this Thanksgiving to usher in the start of the holiday season as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade^® takes to the streets of New York City. On Thursday, November 25 at 9:00 A.M., the 95^th march of the world-famous Parade of magic will bring the nation together in celebration featuring Macy’s (NYSE:M) signature mix of giant character helium balloons, fantastic floats, incredible marching bands, jubilant performance groups, whimsical clowns, music stars and the one-and-only Santa Claus.

“For more than nine decades, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has served to bring joy to millions, who gather with friends and family to experience this one-of-a-kind holiday celebration along the streets of New York City and in homes nationwide,” said Will Coss, Executive Producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “For our 95^th celebration, Macy’s has created a spectacle to remember featuring a dazzling array of high-flying balloons, animated floats and incredible performers. We can’t wait to help New York City and the nation kick-off the holiday season with the return of this cherished tradition.”

 

The 95^th annual Macy’s Parade will feature 15 giant character balloons, 28 floats, 36 novelty and heritage inflatables, more than 800 clowns, 10 marching bands and 9 performance groups, a host of musical stars, and the one-and-only Santa Claus.

 

To safely produce the annual Thanksgiving Day event, Macy’s once again partnered closely with the City and State of New York to create a production plan that would ensure health and safety practices aligned with CDC guidelines, as well as current local and state government protocols.

 

Stars on Parade

The Macy’s Parade is always the holiday’s biggest stage for entertainment and this year will be no different. Featuring a mix of musical genres from Pop and R & B to Country, Classic Rock and K-Pop, the Parade will be the ultimate television party destination this November. Joining the festivities will be aespa, Jimmie Allen, Jon Batiste, Blue’s Clues & You! host Josh Dela Cruz and the former hosts of Blue’s Clues Steve Burns and Donovan Patton, Kristin Chenoweth, Darren Criss, Jordan Fisher, Foreigner, the cast of Peacock’s Girls5eva (Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell, Busy Philipps), Andy Grammer, Mickey Guyton, Chris Lane, Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street^®, Nelly, Kim Petras, Kelly Rowland, Rob Thomas, Carrie Underwood, Tai Verdes, Zoe Wees, and Tauren Wells; with an extra special appearance by the one-and-only Santa Claus.

 

Inflatable Icons

Since 1927 the world’s most popular characters have been transformed into high-flying art in the sky. Inspired by marionettes, the Parade’s balloons first debuted as upside down puppets filled with air and carried on sticks, before taking flight with the addition of helium. Over time the inflatables morphed to encompass balloonheads, hybrid inflatables with vehicles inside (balloonicles) and tandem tricycles (trycaloons).

 

New giants joining the line-up this year include Ada Twist, Scientist by Netflix; a Funko Pop! inspired Grogu^™ (a.k.a. Baby Yoda in pop culture) from the Star Wars^™ series “The Mandalorian^™,” Ronald McDonald^® by McDonald’s^® and Pikachu^™ & Eevee^™ by The Pokémon International Company.

 

Making return appearances to the skies above New York City are giant balloon favorites including Astronaut Snoopy by Peanuts Worldwide; The Boss Baby by DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures; Diary of A Wimpy Kid^® by Abrams Books; Sinclair’s DINO^® by Sinclair Oil Corporation; Goku by Toei Animations, Inc.; Chase from PAW Patrol^® by Nickelodeon; Pillsbury Doughboy^™ by Pillsbury^™; Red Titan from “Ryan’s World” by Sunlight Entertainment and pocket.watch; Papa Smurf from The Smurfs by Nickelodeon; Sonic the Hedgehog by SEGA; and SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary by Nickelodeon.

 

The inflatable lineup also includes Sinclair’s Baby DINOs and the Go Bowling^™ balloonicles; Smokey Bear by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service; and Macy’s very own special reindeer Tiptoe and Toni the Bandleader Bear.

 

A Giant Balloon Celebration

Macy’s signature giant character balloons will be prepared for their Thanksgiving Day flights on Wednesday, November 24, on the Upper West Side. The Macy’s Balloon Inflation Celebration will be open to public viewing from 12:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M., and will be limited to vaccinated guests and conducted with capacity limits to ensure social distancing practices are implemented.

 

For access, guests must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination in the form of one of the following:

• Original CDC Vaccination Card
• Mobile Vaccination App (such as the NYC COVID Safe App, CLEAR Health Pass, NY State Excelsior Pass)
• Photo of their Vaccination Card

 

Guests must also provide a photo ID with a name that matches the proof of vaccination. A negative test will not be accepted in lieu of vaccinated status. Children under the age of 12 who are not eligible to receive vaccinations may be accompanied by a vaccinated adult. Attendees are encouraged to social distance and masks will be required at all times. Entry to Balloon Inflation can be accessed at 72^nd Street and Columbus Avenue. Following the vaccine verification and security check, guests will be able to move through the checkpoint to view the balloons on 77^th and 81^st Streets.

 

Floats of Fantasy

From its inception, the Parade’s floats have transported spectators to magical worlds. These initial whimsical creations focused on nursery rhyme stories. Today the floats are multi-level animated wonders that dazzle with their artistry. Conceived and crafted by the incredible artisans of Macy’s Parade Studio – a design and production facility that includes carpenters, engineers, electricians, painters, animators, balloon technicians, sculptors, metal fabricators, scenic and costume designers – this year’s line-up of floats showcase the best of theatrical design. While they are built for entertainment, they are also a showcase of creative design, engineering, and skillful construction. To spectators they seem to float down the route, even though many are three stories tall and several lanes of traffic wide stages. However, if you dig a little deeper, the magic is revealed as each of these amazing floats are built to collapse to no more than 12 ½-feet tall and 8-feet wide to travel safely from the New Jersey home of the Parade Studio to the Manhattan starting line via the Lincoln Tunnel for the annual celebration.

 

This year six new floats will debut including Birds of a Feather Stream Together by Peacock^® (cast of Peacock’s Girls5eva); Celebration Gator by Louisiana Office of Tourism (Jon Batiste); Colossal Wave of Wonder by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions (Nelly); Gravy Pirates by HEINZ; Magic Meets the Sea by Disney Cruise Line (Jordan Fisher and special guests); and Tiptoe’s North Pole.

 

The returning float roster and its scheduled performers include 1-2-3 Sesame Street^® by Sesame Workshop^™ (The cast and Muppets of Sesame Street); Big City Cheer by Spirit of America Productions (Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier); Big Turkey Spectacular by Jennie-O (Tai Verdes); Blue’s Clues & You! by Nickelodeon (Josh Dela Cruz, Steve Burns and Donovan Patton); The Brick-changer by The LEGO Group (Zoe Wees); Christmas in Town Square by Lifetime^® (Kelly Rowland); Deck the Halls by Balsam Hill^® (Kristin Chenoweth); Elf Pets^® by The Lumistella Company; Everyone’s Favorite Bake Shop by Entenmann’s^® (Andy Grammer); Fantasy Chocolate Factory by Kinder^™ (Darren Criss); Harvest in the Valley by Green Giant^® (Jimmie Allen); Heartwarming Holiday Countdown by Hallmark Channel (Rob Thomas); Her Future is STEM-Sational by Olay (aespa); Home Sweet Home by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (Tauren Wells); Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree (Macy’s Choir); Mount Rushmore’s American Pride by South Dakota Department of Tourism (Chris Lane); Rexy in the City by COACH^® (Kim Petras); Santa Express and Starflakes by Universal Orlando Resort; Santa’s Sleigh (Santa Claus); Tom Turkey; Toy House of Marvelous Milestones by New York Life (Foreigner) and Winning Winter Together by MassMutual and NHL^® (Mickey Guyton).

 

As the Parade unfolds, making an extra special appearance down the route to delight kids of all ages will be Geoffrey, the beloved mascot of Toys”R”Us.

 

The Beat and the Pageantry

The nation’s best marching bands are ready to strike it up and bring the beat to the holiday revelry. Joining the line-up are The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders (Austin, TX), Brownsburg High School (Brownsburg, IN), Centerville High School (Centerville, OH), Hampton University (Hampton, VA), Lincoln-Way High School (Frankfort, IL), Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States), NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY), Trabuco Hills High School (Mission Viejo, CA), Union High School (Tulsa, Oklahoma), and University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL).

 

Taking entertainment to the next level will be the Parade’s beloved performance groups who bring joy to spectators along the route and viewers watching from home. The 95^th Parade will feature the dazzling dancers of Ballet Hispánico’s School of Dance, the harmonious voices of the Broadway Education Alliance Youth Choir, the fancy footwork of the Fred Astaire Dance Studios, the special tributaries of Indigenous Direction, the out of the world skills of J.U.M.P. (Jumpers United for Macy’s Parade), the razzle dazzle of the St. John’s Dance Team, the energetic Spirit of America Cheer and Spirit of America Dance Stars, and the moving voices of the Young People’s Chorus of NYC.

 

The Route to Magic

For spectators wishing to enjoy the spectacle live, the 95^th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 9:00 A.M., kicking off from its traditional starting line at 77^th Street and Central Park West. From there the procession will march down its signature 2.5-mile route taking it from Central Park West to Columbus Circle, turning onto Central Park South and then marching down 6^th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas. At 34^th Street, the Parade will make its final turn west and end at 7^th Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square.

 

Public viewing will be set up along designated portions of the route and managed by the NYPD. Spectators should avoid bringing large bags, umbrellas, backpacks and strollers. The public entering viewing streets may be subject to security search. For additional viewing information, please visit macys.com/parade.

 

Tune-in for the Wonder

For decades, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been one of the nation’s most anticipated and watched holiday celebrations. Viewers nationwide can catch all the action via the special broadcasts on NBC and Telemundo, from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M., in all time zones, For the first time, fans can also stream the broadcast on Peacock. The TODAY Show’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will host the three-hour telecast for NBC and Peacock. The Spanish language simulcast on Telemundo will be hosted by Ana Jurka and Carlos Adyan, accompanied by Freddy Lomelí reporting live from Sixth Avenue, and feature a special appearance by Miss Universe^® Andrea Meza.

 

The holiday television special will feature a special performance from music superstar Carrie Underwood from her album, My Gift (Special Edition).

 

Broadway’s best musicals will also perform including SIX, Moulin Rouge! and one of Broadway’s longest running hits, Wicked; along with a sneak preview of NBC’s Annie Live! In addition, the show-stopping Radio City Rockettes^® will bring their signature magic to Herald Square.

 

For the first-time ever, spectators enjoying the Parade on television and on Peacock, will experience several whimsical augmented reality effects throughout the show that will add another dose of Macy’s magic to the pageantry.

 

#MacysParade

For an insider’s look at the holiday procession, fans nationwide should visit macys.com/parade for regular updates including behind-the-scenes previews, special tours, interactive historical information, educational activities, and more. Fans can also follow @macys on various social media networks and join the conversation using #MacysParade.

 

This Thanksgiving, Macy’s will safely bring millions of spectators nationwide a dazzling celebration like no other. Get ready to start the countdown in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 … Let’s Have a Parade^™!

Hanes is the official mask of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Ram is the official truck of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Remo is the official drumhead provider of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Under Armour is the official outerwear provider of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

All information included in this release is subject to change.

PLEASE NOTE: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade media materials including images, video and archival content is available at macyseventmedia.com

Contacts

Macy’s External Communications

Orlando Veras / Christine Olver Nealon

EventMedia@macys.com

LOS ANGELES — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #bestcostumes–Here are the best costume choices for grown-up entertainment fans celebrating Halloween. This year the top dress-up picks pay tribute to the year’s proliferation of entertainment choices from streaming shows across every screen that served as a welcome diversion from pandemic life. ClixTV®, a pop cultural barometer, has compiled the costume leaders for your Halloween events.

1. Squid Game: Masked guard or sweat suited gamer. (Netflix)
2. Ted Lasso: Mustachioed Wichita football coach Ted Lasso hired to manage an English soccer team. Jason Sudeikis (Apple TV+)
3. Cruella: The rebellious early days of the notorious, fashionable villain played by Emma Stone. (Disney+)
4. Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley: Social media’s bad boy boxing champ Paul or his competitor UFC Champ Tyron Woodley (CBS Sports, Showtime PPV or ClixTV for fighters’ interviews)
5. Cinderella: Starring Camilla Cabello in the contemporary musical remake. (Amazon Prime Video)
6. Halloween Kills: Masked monster Michael Myers played by James Jude. Jamie Lee Curtis and Kyle Richards also star. (Theaters and Peacock)
7. Many Saints of Newark: Cop a New Jersey Mobster attitude as young Tony Soprano played by Michael Gandolfini. He’s the son of the late James Gandolfini who starred in the award-winning original The Sopranos. (Theaters and HBO Max)
8. Black Widow: Slip into the Avengers’ role of fictitious Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson (Disney+)
9. The Crown: Real life royals. (Queen Elizabeth through the years played by Claire Foy and Olivia Colman) (Netflix)
10. Hamilton: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop, jazz and R&B musical from the hit Broadway show of America’s founding fathers. (Disney+)

“Halloween parties this year across America will be a feast of fun, frivolity and entertaining choices. A welcome break from the sobriety of the daily headlines,” observed Los Angeles psychologist, Dr. Karen Dean Fritts, PhD, LMFT. She weighs in on the importance of popular culture in society: “As we observe entertainment choices, both the types and styles of storytelling, it is an important way to take society’s ‘Emotional Temperature.’ It is a needed desire to escape while connecting deeply by having a collective entertainment experience.”

 

ClixTV, committed to making what to-watch a fun, fast, and free experience, is available on every platform in 120 million over-the-top (OTT) television homes.

 

“Our team had a Halloween ball worthy of Cruella and Cinderella putting together our new list of costume suggestions for streaming entertainment fans searching for a new look this year on the killer characters of the top films and episodic series on Roku, Apple TV, LG and Samsung Smart TV’s, Amazon Fire and other streaming services,” said Stacy Jolna, ClixTV Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, who is dressing for Halloween as James Bond. “ClixTV features behind-the-scenes and “sneak peeks” of leading video streamers as well as emerging entertainment talent in unique comedy, global adventure, cool cooking, “Celebrity Sweat” fit tips, eSports tricks and much more.”

 

Adds Dr. Karen Dean Fritts, “The decades may change, technology may deliver a large buffet of entertainment, but human nature and the desire for storytelling that delivers momentary escapism remains a constant. Entertainment through storytelling, music and art is a vital human need. It enables people to shift focus, restore, refuel, and regulates our system. Allowing ourselves to ‘take a delicious deep breath and fully enjoy’ the buffet is a healthy form of self-care. We can more readily return to the daily realities of LIFE more refreshed and revitalized.”

 

ClixTV Leadership Team

Edward M. Sullivan is ClixTV founder and CEO. He is a recipient of multiple Emmy Awards and Telly’s for his entertainment industry marketing and branding as head of Pittard-Sullivan, which launched and re-launched over 200 channels worldwide, including CBS, ABC, Fox, HBO, Discovery Communications, and DirecTV. Sullivan was a catalyst in driving viewers to specific programs and networks for distributors, studios, content creators, and advertisers. His company also worked closely with Jolna developing the brand and network-like interface for personal video recorder company TiVo and Microsoft’s WebTV.

 

Stacy Jolna, founder and Chief Marketing Officer, is the recipient of multiple News & Documentary Emmy Awards, the Cannes Lion and the Peabody Award. He has worked at the crossroads of media and technology for three decades. As a founding executive team member of TiVo, another successful industry disrupter, Jolna helped propel the company from concept to successful IPO and billion dollar market capitalization. He served as Chief Marketing Officer building the iconic TiVo brand and running point on investments by nearly every major media company. He served as SVP and General Manager of News Corp/TV Guide’s Digital TV Group. A successful broadcast journalism executive prior to going digital, at Time Warner/CNN he was Senior V.P. and Senior Executive Producer for Special Reports and launched award-winning “CNN Presents.”

 

Patricia Sullivan, founder and Chief Creative Officer, is an award-winning entertainment industry entrepreneur who built several production and post-production companies from concept to multi-million dollar exits. A veteran Hollywood producer, her innovative productions helped launch networks and TV shows globally. Patricia has created movie trailers driving opening weekend box office revenues beyond the $100 million mark for studios such as Disney. Patricia’s work has been honored with top awards including ATAS (Emmy), NY Film Festival, Monitor, Belding, BDA, Houston Film Festival, Gracie and Telly.

 

Bill Bradham, founder and Business Development Officer, is a veteran business advisor and strategist, successfully counseling over 250 small, medium and large companies. Counseling Protron Electronics, the Company drove revenues of $800 million in worldwide sales in its first fiscal year. Proficient in knowledge of how to grow a company’s business via effective market research, marketing, branding and sales programs, Bill builds teams, negotiates and raises funds. Bradham has negotiated over $13 billion in business contracts, raised over $600 million for various business ventures, and over $130 million for various national charitable causes.

 

About ClixTV®

ClixTV is a multi-platform streaming company at the crossroads of entertainment, e-commerce and technology. It is free and available on every screen, including over 80 PLEX channels. It is in 120 million homes via over-the-top (OTT) and reaches 100 million online viewers monthly, and millions of viewers on ClixTV.com as well as millions of users on its apps on Android and IOS. ClixTV excels in short-form, bite-sized video episodes featuring social media influencers, celebrity athletes, chefs, comedians, eSports commentators, adventurers, and more. It’s range of content spans Hot Trends, Extreme Sports, Fashion & Lifestyle, Travel & Adventure, Funny, Food & Wellness, Fitness, Kids Stuff, and more. ClixTV is also a promotional champion of top series and movies on major streaming platforms, making it simpler for viewers to find what they want to watch and subscribe to leading streaming services. ClixTV is an immersive, direct-to-consumer brand experience where viewers can watch, shop and earn ClixTV cash rewards redeemable for brand products or for charities they support.

Contacts

Debra Sharon Davis
President
Davis Communications Group, Inc.
ddavis@davcominc.com
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