Macy's Thanksgiving parade rolls on in the rain

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was drenched in rain Thursday and briefly disrupted by Pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

New York City police said they arrested 21 people after protesters sat down on the parade route with Palestinian flags and a “Don’t Celebrate Genocide” banner.

Thanks to the wet weather, this year’s parade saw lots of ponchos and umbrellas along with the usual lineup of giant balloons, floats and star-studded performances.

The latest edition of the annual holiday tradition featured new Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, zoo and pasta-themed floats, an ode to Big Apple coffee and bagels, performances from Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel and Kylie Minogue, and more.

The lineup was a far cry from the parade’s initial incarnation a century ago, which featured floats showing scenes from Mother Goose, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, Miss Muffet and the Spider, and other fairy tales.

Some things remained the same, though. As in 1924, there are plenty of marching bands and lots of clowns, followed by the grand finale of Santa Claus riding through Manhattan and ushering in the holiday season.

This year’s parade featured 17 giant, helium-filled character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups, award-winning singers and actors, and the WNBA champion New York Liberty.

The parade began at 8:30 a.m. on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and ends 2.5 miles away around noon at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, which serves as a stage and backdrop for performances.

The rain isn’t stopping anything — the parade has only been canceled three times, from 1942 to 1944 during World War II — but organizers are monitoring wind speeds throughout the festivities to make sure it’s safe for the big balloons to fly.

Temperatures are in the upper 40s degrees, with rain throughout the morning and winds around 10 mph, well within the acceptable range for letting Snoopy, Bluey and their friends soar, although at a reduced height. New York City law prohibits Macy’s from flying the full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph or wind gusts are over 35 mph.

In past years, balloons caught in gusty winds have knocked over light poles and caused injuries to paradegoers below.



(AP Photo Julia Demaree Nikhinson)