Turkey Day is here — and that means the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has kicked off in New York City.
The 99th annual parade features dozens of iconic floats and balloons — including Beagle Scout Snoopy, Super Mario and Spider-Man — along a 2.5-mile route stretching from the Upper West Side to Midtown this morning. Eleven marching bands from across the country are joining the procession, along with more than 30 clown crews.
Wicked: For Good star Cynthia Erivo opened the show with a rendition of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.” Halfway through the parade, rappers Busta Rhymes and Lil Jon amped up the crowd with performances of their hit songs, including “Break Ya Neck” and “Turn Down for What.”
Earlier, Broadway star Jonathan Groff — joined for a brief dance by Bowen Yang — performed a song from the new hit musical “Just in Time.” Actress Sarah Hyland, who stars alongside Groff, also joined the performance. Pop icon Conan Gray also performed his hit song, “Vodka Cranberry.”
The procession began around 8:30 a.m. Eastern time and will wrap up around noon, just in time for families to start setting the table and adding the finishing touches to Thanksgiving dinner.
Strong wind was predicted to impact the event, but weather presenter Al Roker told TODAY that the gusts are “fairly light” and the balloons are still expected to fly.
Social media reacts to Busta Rhymes and Lil Jon
Social media is abuzz after Busta Rhymes and Lil Jon amped up the crowd with performances at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The Macy’s parade is the only place in the world where Lil Jon can appear with the Toys R Us giraffe serving as a DJ and it totally works.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) November 27, 2025
Katie Hawkinson27 November 2025 15:54
Bello! Stuart the Minion balloon greets crowd
The Stuart the Minion balloon, modeled after a character from the Despicable Me series, has greeted the crowd at the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Katie Hawkinson27 November 2025 15:50
Busta Rhymes and Lil Jon top bill with mid-morning performance
Iconic rapper Busta Rhymes performed at the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade moments ago.
The award-winning performer sang several hits, including his 2001 song “Break Ya Neck,” as the crowd cheered.
Lil Jon debuted shortly afterward, electrifying the crowd with his hit song, “Turn Down for What.”
Katie Hawkinson27 November 2025 15:42
Conan Gray sings ‘Vodka Cranberry’
Pop icon Conan Gray has performed his 2025 hit song, “Vodka Cranberry,” at the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
The song is from his fourth studio album, “Wishbone.”
Katie Hawkinson27 November 2025 15:30
Labubu float makes Macy’s parade history
A Labubu float debuted at the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade this morning, featuring the plush toys that went viral on social media this year.
The 16-foot-tall Labubu and Mokoko characters also made history, becoming the first furry inflatables in Macy’s parade history, according to TODAY.
Katie Hawkinson27 November 2025 15:24
Kool & The Gang celebrate Thanksgiving
Kool & The Gang performed their hit 1980 song, “Celebration,” on board the Bronx Zoo float this morning.
There are 29 performers and nine performance groups expected to appear at today’s parade.
Katie Hawkinson27 November 2025 15:13
Diary of a Wimpy Kid ballon flies
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid balloon is flying through the streets of New York City this morning.
Katie Hawkinson27 November 2025 15:00
Christopher Jackson performs with cast of ‘Sesame Street’
Grammy Award-winning singer and actor Christopher Jackson performed with the cast of “Sesame Street” at the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The group performed the show’s classic theme song, “Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?”
Katie Hawkinson27 November 2025 14:49
SpongeBob SquarePants balloon ready to fly
The iconic SpongeBob SquarePants balloon is at the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
SpongeBob will be joined by his pet snail, Gary, as he floats down the streets of New York City.
Katie Hawkinson27 November 2025 14:47
Wind unlikely to impact parade
Weather presenter Al Roker told TODAY that winds are light today, and the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons are still expected to fly.
“Right now winds are fairly light, we are seeing some gusts of about 25 miles an hour, but for all intents and purposes, these bad boys are going to be flying,” Roker said.
Katie Hawkinson27 November 2025 14:30
