The forecast may have been grim, but even the bad weather couldn’t rain on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year.
With rain pouring from the sky, the parade — now in its 98th year — stepped off at Central Park West with larger-than-life balloons and floats making their way through Manhattan.
Despite the weather, millions of spectators from near and far braved the rain and lined the streets to watch the parade unfold. Parade spectators Corey, Nolan, and Ellie Rouse came all the way from Hot Springs, Alabama, to cheer on their daughter, who marched in the Lake Hamilton High School band, The Power Band of Arkansas.
They arrived along the parade route around 5 a.m. to score a coveted front seat.
“We’ve been freezing mostly. Yesterday was beautiful weather, and we were hoping for that today, but we’re gonna persevere,” Corey Rouse said.
“Anything for the kids,” his wife Ellie added.
Denae Roose from Brian, Ohio, told amNewYork Metro that the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade had been on her bucket list.
Roose didn’t mind the inclement weather.
“Being here in the rain is worth more than sitting home with hot chocolate and watching it on TV, so I’m so thrilled. I don’t care what the weather’s like,” Roose said. “We were here before the garbage truck started parking.”
The David family from Staten Island didn’t mind the weather, and the kids were excited to see Spider-Man.
“[The weather] is great. It’s all part of the experience,” said dad Matthew David, who had been to the parade many times and brought his family for the first time.
Take a look below at some of the parade sights this year!
