It may be raining on their parade, but crowds gathered for the 100th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade refused to let it dampen their spirits.
Heavy rain and chilly temps did not stop crowds lining New York City streets to watch the spectacular, with ponchos and umbrellas adding extra color to giant balloons, floats and star-studded performances.
“Once you’re wet, what can you do?” said Cathy Bucks, refusing to let it dampen her spirits for an event on her “bucket list.”
Bucks was excited to finally make it from Richmond, Virginia, having previously faced disappointment when her 2022 plan was canceled due to COVID-19.
Many traveled even further, including Mark Vielledent, 42, an active duty US Military member who came from Tampa, Florida, with his wife Becky, 42, and their three kids, Vivienne, 3, Bella, 14 and Robert, 13 — snagging a prime parade spot by getting there at 1 a.m.
“In spite of the rain, the spirit is still there. We would regret not coming,” Becky said.
“Once you are here, you gotta do it. You gotta do it,” Mark added. “The excitement is still there!”
Performers, floats and new balloons — including new ones for Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse — started weaving 2.5 miles downtown to Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street from 8:30 a.m.
This year’s parade will feature 17 giant helium-filled character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns and performances by award-winning entertainers.
New floats this year include a knight and dragon in battle made from actual pasta elements, courtesy of the Rao’s food brand, as well as a float celebrating the Bronx Zoo’s 125th anniversary.
“What you see right now is what you’re going to get. Chilly, cold rain,” Fox Forecast Center Meteorologist Jordan Overton told The Post Thursday morning. “Definitely make sure you have a rain jacket for the rest of the day and through the afternoon.”
Consistent rain and dark heavy clouds will likely loom over the five boroughs for most of the day.
“It will wane in intensity, maybe you’ll have 15-20 minutes of some really heavy rain and then maybe it’s 15-20 minutes of light rain. It’s going to be this persistent, messy feel for most of today,” Overton said.
Snoopy, Pikachu and Bluey may get drenched, but the iconic balloon characters should not float away, as winds are expected to remain calm throughout Thursday.
While the parade goes on each year rain or shine, Macy’s beloved oversized balloons cannot fly in sustained winds over 23 mph.
“It will probably pick up to 10, 15, or maybe even 20mph into the afternoon, but it’s not going to be a huge factor in terms of the parade, at least not right now,” Overton said.
Respite will likely only come after Turkey Day, with the rain expected to lighten up well into Thursday afternoon or the evening.
Black Friday shoppers can also rest easy tonight: Clearer conditions are expected to come to New York after the holiday wraps.
While the rain is expected to stop for Friday, shoppers should still bundle up, as temperatures will likely dip into the low 30s overnight.