One of New York’s favorite traditions is the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade premiered in 1924 and has continued for now 96 years. With exciting floats, broadway performances, and large balloons, this parade showcases a variety of excitement that people all over the world look forward to yearly.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, there were new restrictions necessary for the parade to take place. According to AP News, these restrictions included altering the regular path through Manhattan and relocating the parade to in front of the Macy’s store. The decision for a mostly televised audience was also made to avoid large crowds.

One of the most popular attractions at this parade is the 50 foot high balloons that represent familiar faces,

such as Snoopy and Ronald McDonald. In previous years approximately 90 people were assigned to each balloon, but due to new social distancing guidelines, this would not be possible. As a solution, the balloons were anchored onto vehicles, which allowed them to fly without fear of them floating away.

The overall number of people gathered to watch the parade decreased by 75% this year, but the event was able to persevere regardless of the virus, and New York was able to carry on with this festive tradition.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/us-news-new-york-coronavirus-pandemic-manhattan-thanksgiving-b94308c8e395e497110836f23fb00c47