Macy’s 2023 Thanksgiving Day Parade took place on Thursday in New York. The celebratory occasion featured a host of big names riding on even bigger floats including Cher, Brandy, Jon Batiste, Bell Biv DeVoe, Enhyphen and Pentatonix.
The event also included 11 of the nation’s top marching bands, 29 clown crews and dance performances from groups including the Radio City Rockettes, Big Apple Circus and Tiptoe Winter Guard, among others. Broadway performances were also strongly featured in the parade. These included “& Juliet,” “Back to the Future: The Musical,” “Shucked” and more. This year’s event ran for three and 1/2 hours instead of its usual three, offering 30 more minutes of content.
The Tom Turkey float led the charge down Central Park West along with Alabama A&M University’s Marching Maroon and White. Accompanied by dancers, Grammy and Oscar-winning musician Batiste kicked off the festivities with a performance of “Worship.” Paul Russell then performed his hit song “Lil Boo Thang” followed by the R&B group En Vogue who performed “You’re the Inspiration” on the Wonder Bread float.
Before long, Cher took center stage to perform her latest holiday single “DJ Play a Christmas Song” from her upcoming Christmas album simply titled “Christmas.” It wouldn’t be a Thanksgiving parade without a high-kicking performance from the Rockettes. Clad in glittering matching ensembles, the dancers performed a synchronized dance routine for parade-goers.
Riding on a Brach’s candy float, Brandy sang a sweet rendition of “Someday at Christmas,” while Bell Biv DeVoe danced to their hit song “Poison” on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles float. “Emily in Paris” star Ashley Park hitched a ride on the Sesame Street float and sang alongside Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Elmo and Cookie Monster.
Pentatonix performed their hit Christmas song “Mistletoe” and K-pop supergroup Enhypen rode the “Baby Shark” float, interpolating the catchy kid’s song accompanied by a choreographed dance. Other performers included Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Chicago, husband and wife duo David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Jessie James Decker, Amanda Shaw and Alex Smith and Manuel Turizo.
An annual tradition since 1924, the parade — held in New York City and broadcast to millions yearly — features various floats and balloons, complete with performances and musical acts to ring in the holiday season.
Amina Ayoud is an Assistant Digital Editor for Footwear News, where she writes stories about everything from celebrity style to breaking fashion and shoe releases. Ayoud cultivated a love of all things fashion early in life thanks to a deep love of fashion history and the luxury industry. In her free time, Ayoud is a self-proclaimed fashion nerd and thriftaholic.
