As the turkey thaws and a day of cooking prep begins, an equally integral Thanksgiving tradition is Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade . Last year, 3.5 million spectators lined New York City ’s streets to watch the procession of vibrant balloons and whimsical floats bob and weave through Midtown Manhattan to the beats of countless marching bands and celebrity performers. Beyond the city, a record-setting 34.3 million tuned into the NBC and Peacock broadcast, making the Emmy-winning production the year’s most-watched entertainment telecast. This year's promises to be even grander, as 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the spectacle, which started in 1924 (though it wasn’t held from 1942 to 1944 because parade materials were reserved for wartime efforts).

“As a kid from the Bronx , it is an honor to bring this cherished tradition…to the city of New York every year,” the parade’s executive producer since 2021 Will Coss tells Condé Nast Traveler.…