Astronaut Snoopy balloon hovers above the crowd during the 93rd Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan,New York, U.S., November 28, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid
(Reuters) – Thanksgiving Day in New York City started with something many New Yorkers and visitors will be grateful for: the giant balloons in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade were given the all clear to fly after fears strong winds could ground them.
“Good News, New York City: the winds are holding and the #MacysThanksgivingDayParade balloons will FLY!,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a tweet early on Thursday.
Concerns had been mounting earlier in the week over a forecast of strong winds on Thanksgiving Day.
City regulations that were put in place after a Cat in the Hat balloon knocked down a lamp post in 1997, injuring four spectators, say the inflatable characters must be kept out of the sky sustained winds top 23 miles per hour (37 km per hour), and gusts exceed 34 mph (54 kph).
The giant balloons, including a 49-feet (15-m) tall Snoopy beagle decked out in astronaut gear to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, and numerous floats will parade down Manhattan’s 6th Avenue during the iconic celebration.
The parade, a tradition that began in the 1920s, with its marching bands, clowns and performances is expected to draw large crowds in New York City and millions of viewers across the country.
(This story corrects parade route from 5th to 6th Avenue in paragraph 5)
Reporting by Maria Caspani, Editing by Marguerita Choy