by Charlie Pollack
 
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on Nov. 26th brought a sense of normalcy to those who cherish the tradition of tuning into NBC every year.
 
This parade included some annual favorites such as the loveable balloons, the cast of Sesame Street, The Radio City Rockettes and the fan favorite to end the parade, Santa Clause. As safety precautions needed to be taken, participants wore masks and they didn’t have an audience. They also eliminated the parade route and only had the TV feature.
 
“The biggest difference for me was the fact that there was nobody there,” senior Brandon Greenberg said. “Of course it was the right decision due to the pandemic, but there is something about the parade with spectators that brings another level of energy and excitement to the event.”
 
There was also the familiar aspect of Broadway performances. Four Broadway Shows had performed, “Hamilton”, “Jagged Little Pill”, “Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations”, and “Mean Girls”. While the full casts were not present and the performance did not happen at Macy’s, the actors and actresses still made the best of the situation. They also had more returning shows than new ones, however that’s how the parade functioned during the pandemic. 
 
May also included aspects of parades that were cancelled throughout the year such as the National Puerto Rican Day parade, LGBTQ+ pride parade, St. Patrick’s Day parade, West Indian American Day Carnival Association, Indigenous Wampanoag Language Blessing and much more. 
 
“The floats were exquisite,” freshman Sam Sponheimer said. “I enjoyed watching the parade with my family.”
 
Many musical performances were given from Dolly Parton, Bebe Rexha, Brett Young, Keke Palmer, Pentatonix, Ally Brooke and many other talented artists. The parade was also opened by a performance by Jimmy Fallon and The Roots. Overall, the weather came through for a great parade and continued on one of the most loved Thanksgiving Day traditions.