The 86th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will get new balloons and a new route this year, according to ABC 15 .
The annual holiday event will now venture down 6th Avenue in New York City. Organizers explained that the new wider route will allow more people to watch the parade go by.
In order to make sure the new balloons are in working order, a number of volunteers took them out for a spin in New Jersey over the weekend. According to NY1 , among the new additions this year are Papa Smurf, Hello Kitty, and Elf on the Shelf.
John Piper, the creative director of Macy’s Parade Studio, was on hand to monitor how the new balloons handled the elements.
“To put them through their paces outside, to give them one last check, all the lines, all of the inflation, how they go around making turns and so forth,” he explained. “Gives us one chance for adjustments before we get ready for parade.”
Amy Kule, producer of the annual event, stated that the show will go on despite the problems New York City has faced over the past few weeks.
“This has been a very, very tough month for everybody here in and around New York. We see it as our obligation to do the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” she said. “The whole country celebrates Thanksgiving, and the parade has always been this beacon of hope and rejuvenation.”
She added, “As it has during turbulent times in our history, we hope the Macy’s Parade serves as a beacon of hope and renewal for all Americans who will gather with friends and family to give thanks this season and begin to heal from the devastating aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.”
According to UPI , this year’s event will feature 16 enormous balloons, nearly 40 ornament balloons, 28 floats, 11 marching bands, and nearly 1,600 cheerleaders and dancers. Coulrophobics beware: approximately 900 clowns will also be in attendance at this year’s event.
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