NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The Macy鈥檚 brought balloons depicting Buzz Lightyear and Pac-Man to the New York City skies on Thursday, as floats featuring Labubu and Lego graced the streets.
The parade, which started on Manhattan鈥檚 Upper West Side and closed at the iconic Macy鈥檚 Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, included dozens of balloons, floats, clown groups and marching bands.
It was a chilly day in the city, with temperatures in the 40s, but wind gusts between 25 mph (40 kph) and 30 mph (48 kph), making it feel colder, according to David Stark, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New York.
Officials watched the forecast closely, since Macy鈥檚 from flying full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph (37 kph) or wind gusts are over 35 mph (56 kph). Weather has grounded the balloons only once, in 1971, but they also sometimes have .
But a little cold wasn’t a big deal for Megan Christy, who traveled to the city from Greensboro, North Carolina, for the parade, donning a warm onesie as she staked out a spot along the route.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not raining. We鈥檙e very excited about that. And it鈥檚 not too bad. Not too cold,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a great day for a parade.鈥�
A star-studded lineup of performances was sprinkled throughout the show, along with a slew of marching bands, dancers and cheerleaders.
Performers included star , Conan Gray, Lainey Wilson, Lil Jon, and of HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group at the heart of this year’s Netflix hit .鈥� The were also there, as were cast members from Broadway’s 鈥淏uena Vista Social Club,鈥� 鈥淛ust in Time鈥� and 鈥淩agtime.鈥�
The parade featured a few new balloons, including a large onion carriage featuring eight characters from the world of 鈥� .鈥� 鈥淜Pop Demon Hunters鈥� was also represented in the sky with the characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie.
The event aired on NBC, hosted by Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker from 鈥淭oday鈥� and their former colleague Hoda Kotb. On Telemundo, the hosts were Andrea Meza, Aleyda Ortiz and Clovis Nienow. The parade was also simulcast on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
