Macy's Allows Public To Watch Live Thanksgiving Day Parade

(RTTNews) - Department store company Macy's Inc. (M) announced on Wednesday that the public can once again view live its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade on the streets of New York. This year is special as it marks the 95th year of Macy's legendary balloon-filled parade.

Last year, the Macy's parade was drastically cut down due to the Covid-19 situation. The usual 2.5-mile parade route filled with cheering fans gave way to a boring television broadcast.

Commenting on the developments, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "We are thrilled to welcome back in its full form the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We applaud Macy's work to creatively continue this beloved tradition last year."

The company said that only fully vaccinated staff and volunteers can take part in this year's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In order to maintain social distancing along the parade route, the company would reduce the number of participants by 20 percent to 1,600.

Macy said that it is still sorting out the issue of balloon inflation public viewing, which takes place the night before the parade. The company added it will continue to monitor the ongoing Covid-19 situation and is always prepared for any emergency.

Public viewing of the Macy's parade will be a different experience this year as it can seen only from certain public viewing spots, with all safety measures in place. The company said that it has worked closely with the New York city office to plan an event, which will keep all the health and safety protocols are in place. Access information for the viewing locations will be shared with the public at a later time, the company added.