NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The Macy's marched, soared and roared into its second century on Thursday despite a drenching rain and a brief disruption from pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
New York City police said they arrested 21 people after protesters jumped barricades and sat down on the parade route with Palestinian flags and a 鈥淒on't Celebrate Genocide鈥� banner. They chanted 鈥淔ree, free Palestine!鈥� as a giant Ronald McDonald balloon bore down on them on Manhattan's Sixth Avenue.
People protesting Israel's war in Gaza also interrupted last year鈥檚 parade.
Thanks to the wet weather, ponchos and umbrellas were part of the festivities, along with the usual giant balloons, floats and star-studded performances.
The latest edition of the annual holiday tradition featured new Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, zoo and pasta-themed floats, an ode to Big Apple coffee and bagels, performances from Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel and Kylie Minogue, and more.
The lineup was a far cry from the parade鈥檚 initial incarnation 100 years ago, which featured floats showing scenes from Mother Goose, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, Miss Muffet and the Spider, and other fairy tales.
Some things remained the same, though. As in 1924, there were plenty of marching bands and lots of clowns, followed by the grand finale of Santa Claus ushering in the holiday season.
This year's parade featured 17 giant, helium-filled character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands from as far away as Texas and South Dakota, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups, award-winning singers and actors, and the WNBA champion New York Liberty.
Other highlights included reality TV star 丑颈辫-丑辞辫鈥檚 country duo Dan + Shay, The Temptations, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Broadway veteran Lea Salonga, and 鈥淕low鈥� actor and Macy's spokesperson .
One new float spotlighted the featuring a knight and a dragon in battle made with actual pasta elements. Another celebrated the Bronx Zoo鈥檚 125th anniversary with representations of a tiger, a giraffe, a zebra and a gorilla.
鈥淭he work that we do, the opportunity to impact millions of people and bring a bit of joy for a couple of hours on Thanksgiving morning, is what motivates us every day,鈥� said Will Coss, Macy鈥檚 Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer.
The parade route stretched 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from Manhattan鈥檚 Upper West Side to Macy鈥檚 Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, which served as a performance backdrop.
狈叠颁鈥檚 walked part of the route before joining co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and outside the store for the remainder of the live TV coverage. "Wicked" film star Cynthia Erivo presented the retiring Kotb with flowers to commemorate what could be her last parade broadcast.
The rain didn't stop anything 鈥� the parade has only been canceled three times, from 1942 to 1944 during World War II 鈥� but organizers monitored wind speeds to make sure the big balloons were safe to fly.
Temperatures hovered near 50 degrees F (10 degrees C), with rain throughout the morning and winds around 10 mph (16 kph), well within the acceptable range for letting Snoopy, Bluey and their friends soar. City law prohibits 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).
The Associated Press
