YEAR.
IT IS DESIGNED FOR TV.
NOT EVEN A PANDEMIC COULD
DEFLATE THIS HOLIDAY TRADITION.
THOSE HUMONGOUS BALLOONS PUMPED
UP WITH HELIUM WILL RISE AGAIN
IN THE MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY
PARADE.
THIS YEAR, THEY’LL BE PULLED BY
UTILITY VEHICLES INSTEAD OF THE
100 OR SO PEOPLE EACH BALLOON IS
TYPICALLY TETHERED TO.
THOSE HUMAN HANDLERS WILL
EAGERLY WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR.
>> PROBABLY I’LL BE THERE
UNDERNEATH THE BALLOON, WHATEVER
BALLOON THEY GIVE ME.
>> Reporter: IN ALL, THE BIG
BALLOON COUNT IS DROPPING FROM
16 LAST YEAR TO 12 THIS YEAR.
WHILE THE NUMBER OF FLOATS SINKS
FROM 26 TO 18.
AND THE PARADE WORKFORCE, THAT’S
BEEN CUT BY 88%.
PUT SIMPLY, THIS YEAR’S
BLUEPRINT, FEWER FOOTPRINTS FOR
MORE SAFETY.
>> NORMALLY, WE SEE A LOT OF
CROWDS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF CLOWNS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF BALLOON
HANDLERS.
WE’RE JUST NOT GOING TO HAVE AS
MANY PEOPLE THIS YEAR.
>> Reporter: NYPD CUT BACK ON
PARADE STAFFING BY 80% AND
DOESN’T EXPECT MANY SPECTATORS
TO SHOW UP.
THOSE WHO DO WILL BE REMINDED TO
PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
>> WE’RE NOT ASKING PEOPLE TO
SHOW UP.
OF COURSE, THERE WILL BE PLENTY
OF MEASURES TO MAKE SURE THERE
ARE NO CROWDS.
♪
>> Reporter: REHEARSALS OFFERED
A GLIMPSE OF WHAT TO EXPECT.
♪
>> Reporter: A PERFORMANCE BY
JIMMY FALLON AND THE ROOTS.
MARCHING BANDS FROM THE NEW YORK
AREA, AND, YES, THE ROCKETTES,
UNABLE TO DANCE AT RADIO STICITY
MUSIC HALL, WILL DON NUTCRACKER
COSTUMES ON HEROLD SQUARE.
AROUND SINCE 1924, THE MACY’S
PARADE WAS CANCELED ONLY THREE
TIMES, DURING WORLD WAR II.
NOT EVEN A SNOWSTORM IN 1989
COULD GROUND THE PROCESSION.
A BLISSFULLY STUBBORN EVENT
THAT, IN 2020, IS STILL STANDING
TALL.
FOR THAT, WE ARE THANKFUL.
WE NEED THIS, DON’T WE?
>> NOW MORE THAN EVER.
WE ARE NEW YORK TOUGH, AND THIS
PARADE IS REALLY A DISPLAY AND A
SHOWCASE FOR ALL OF NEW YORK.
I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
LOOK AT THIS, AND THEY’RE GOING
TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF NEW
YORK CITY CAN PUT ON THIS
PARADE, WE CAN GET THROUGH A
PANDEMIC.
>> Reporter: A COUPLE OTHER
CHANGES WE WANT TO POINT OUT.
FIRST IS THE PARADE ROUTE.
IN A NORMAL YEAR, IT IS ABOUT
2 1/2 MILES LONG.
STARTS WAY UP AROUND 77th
STREET, MARCHES THROUGH
MANHATTAN
MANHATTAN, AND ENDS AROUND 34th
STREET.
THIS YEAR, VERY DIFFERENT.
IT IS BASICALLY ABOUT A BLOCK
AROUND HEROLD SQUARE AND THE
MACY’S FLAGSHIP STORE.
ANOTHER CHANGE IS USUALLY, ON
THANKSGIVING EVE, ON WEDNESDAY,
THERE IS SORT OF A BALLOON
BLOW-UP EVENT.
PEOPLE COME FROM ALL AROUND THE
CITY TO SEE THE BALLOONS GET
FILLED UP.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS YEAR, THEY DID
STILL HAVE TO FILL UP THOSE
BALLOONS, BUT THERE WAS NO
EVENT.
THEY DIDN’T WANT CROWDS
GATHERING TO WATCH THAT.
HODA, SAVANNAH, DESPITE ALL THE
CHANGES, CANNOT TELL YOU HOW
EXCITED I AM TO SEE THIS PARADE.
>> I KNOW, JOE.
I THINK YOU’RE NEW TO THE EAST
COAST THIS YEAR, SO YOU’RE IN
FOR A REALLY GOOD SHOW.
>> YEAH, THE PARTY IS GOING TO
GO ON.
I CAN’T WAIT.
9:00 WE’RE STARTING IT.
>> I KNOW.
THERE’S ONLY ONE PERSON WE
REALLY NEED TO CHECK IN WITH.
>> WHO?
>> THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON ON
THANKSGIVING MORNING.
HIS NAME IS AL ROKER.
HE ALONG OUR PARADE ROUTE, WHICH
MEANS HE’S PROBABLY RIGHT OVER
THERE.
>> YEAH.
>> AL, WE SEE WE GOT SOME RAIN,
BUT OUR SPIRITS ARE HIGH.
HOW ABOUT YOURS?
>> OH, THEY ARE.
AND THE RAIN HAS KIND OF DROPPED
OFF.
I THINK WHAT WE’RE GOING TO BE
LOOKING AT IS THIS, IN AND OUT
SHOWERS, NOT A BIG DEAL.
OKAY, SO HERE’S 34th STREET.
THERE’S TOM TURKEY.
TOM TURKEY IS GOING TO BE
STARTING OFF THERE, AND THE
FLOATS ARE DOWN THERE.
THIS 6th AVENUE, ALL THE
BALLOONS ARE LINED UP THERE.
THEN DOWN HERE, OF COURSE,
HEROLD SQUARE IN FRONT OF
MACY’S, AND THAT’S WHERE YOU
GUYS ARE.
THAT’S WHERE THE PARADE WILL
REALLY GET KICKED OFF.
LET’S SHOW YOU WHAT’S GOING ON
RADAR WISE.
TAKE A QUICK LOOK.
YOU’LL SEE, WE DO HAVE HEAVY
SHOWERS, THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
THROUGH THE NORTHEAST.
THERE IS NOT BAND BEHIND THAT.
ONCE THAT MOVES THROUGH, THAT’S
GOOD NEWS.
SCATTERED SHOWERS IN THE EAST,
HEAVIEST RAIN WILL BE THE
NORTHEAST THIS MORNING.
IT MOVES OUT.
THIS AFTERNOON, COLD FRONT MOVES
OFFSHORE, THINGS DRY OUT INTO
THE EVENING LATER TODAY.
THEN AS WE GET INTO TOMORROW, WE
ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING A LOT AT
WET WEATHER MAKING ITS WAY
THROUGH THE GULF OF COAST.
LOTS OF HEAVY RAIN.
THAT RAIN WILL BE MAKING ITS WAY
UP INTO THE NORTHEAST LATER IN
THE WEEKEND AND ON INTO THE
BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK, CAUSING
POSSIBILITIES OF FLASH FLOOD
POTENTIAL.
HEAVY RAIN ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 3
INCHES FROM CORPUS CHRISTI,
TEXAS, ALL THE WAY INTO THE
SOUTHEAST.
THAT’S GOING TO BE A REAL MESS.
AGAIN, FOR THANKSGIVING DAY, IF
YOU’RE GOING TO BE EATING
OUTSIDE, THE EAST COAST IS GOING
TO BE THE MORE PROBLEMATIC FOR
YA.
AGAIN, WE GOT THE PARADE GETTING
READY TO START OFF.
NOBODY CARES ABOUT THE RAIN.
WE’RE JUST THRILLED, THRILLED
THAT WE’RE GOING TO SEE THE
PARADE.
GUYS, ALSO GOOD NEWS, IT IS
GOING TO BE ABOUT 60 DEGREES BY
THE TIME SANTA HITS HEROLD
SQUARE.
AND THERE’S NO WIND, SO THE
BALLOONS WON’T HAVE A PROBLEM.
EVEN THOUGH THE BALLOON HANDLERS
WON’T BE THERE, BUT, BUT, WILL
BUTTER MAN MAKE AN APPEARANCE?
STAY TUNED.
BUTTER, IT’S ALWAYS BETTER WITH
BUTTER, BABY.
>> I HOPE SO.
I HEARD SANTA MIGHT WEAR A TANK
TOP.
THAT’S HOW WARM IT IS.
>> I DON’T THINK WE WANT TO SEE
THAT.