Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023 steps off this week in Manhattan, with Cher, SpongeBob, Miss America

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — a tradition dating to 1924 — kicks off Thursday with 25 balloons, 31 floats, singer Cher and millions of spectators watching in person and on TV.

The parade, Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to noon, steps off at West 77th Street and Central Park West — and goes along 2½ miles of public viewing areas.

Among the balloons: Paw Patrol, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Ronald McDonald, and Smokey Bear and SpongeBob SquarePants. They'll be joined by floats from the likes of Camp Snoopy, the Fantasy Chocolate Factory and 1-2-3 Sesame Street. Performers include Cher, Brandy, Chicago, En Vogue, Miss America Grace Stanke and hundreds of clowns, marching bands and performance groups.

Broadway performers will be on hand to put on a show for spectators, including from “& Juliet,” “Spamalot,” “Back to the Future: The Musical,” “Shucked" and “How To Dance in Ohio." The Radio City Rockettes will perform as well.

The northernmost viewing areas are on Central Park West, from West 75th to West 61st streets. There are no public viewing areas between West 59th and West 60th streets.

The parade proceeds south, and at Columbus Circle turns onto Central Park South, then to Sixth Avenue, continuing until the parade’s end, at Macy’s flagship store on West 34th Street.

For those who can’t make it in person — or just don’t want to schlep to Manhattan — the parade will be telecast on WNBC Ch. 4 and Telemundo.

This year will be the second in which the parade is back in full force after two years of cancellations and restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The NYPD typically deploys radiation detectors, bomb-sniffing dogs and sand-filled trucks to deter terror attacks, as well as technology to seize control of unauthorized drones.

Robin Hall — who as a Macy's senior vice president from 2001 to 2013 oversaw the parade, the July Fourth fireworks, Santa and more — said planning for each parade begins two years ahead of time, when bands are cast and other large performing groups are selected.

"It's a real coordinated dance. And you have to plan all year to get the streets prepared. Every street lamp has to either be taken down or turned. Every scaffold needs to be either inspected or scrutinized. Every structure along the route has to be looked at. Every flagpole. Everything's a potential menace to the balloons and the floats,” he said.

“Everything has to be considered — everything along the parade route, because we have to get huge floats and huge balloons down. Every tree needs to be looked at. Every tree has to be considered to be trimmed," he added.

Hall said the tradition went from being a regional parade to a national event after the 1947 classic movie "Miracle on 34th Street," in which the parade was prominently featured.

Long Island is big business for Macy's — and many Long Islanders come to the parade or watch on TV, according to Hall.

"Long Island's a huge market for us," he said. He added: "There are lots and lots of fans of the parade from Long Island."

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.