Balloons Cleared to Fly in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will go on as planned, so say safety officials in New York City.

High winds and storm conditions had threatened the flight of sixteen balloons scheduled to take to the air between skyscrapers and above an anticipated 8,000 participants and 3.5 million spectators in the 87th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  The Macy's media team says about fifty million people watch the parade nationwide.

Since the parade began in 1924 the balloons have only been grounded once before, in 1971, when bad weather kept the balloons grounded.  But accidents caused by high winds during 1997's parade forced New York City officials to enact strict rules regarding the balloons.  Winter weather prompted officials to hold off on issuing an all-clear until this morning.

The parade steps off at 77th Street and Central Park West and ends at Macy's Herald Square.