(NBC) — The “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” celebrates its 95th anniversary this Thursday and will look more like the event we’ve come to know.
Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will once again co-host on NBC. Roker shared a preview of what’s in store.
The “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” last year was a scaled-down affair because of the pandemic. This time around, it should be much closer to normal.
“This year, it’s going to be safe as well, but it’s going to be more like the parade we love and we need,” said Roker.
Ten marching bands from around the country and 28 floats, including six new ones, will once again travel the two and a half miles through manhattan.
“Every element of the parade is spectacular unto itself,” said Roker. “But when you take all of it and you put it together, there is nothing like it on the planet.”
Especially the balloons, 15 giant character balloons, many are familiar but four are new including Baby Yoda.
“We’re going to see the floats, we’re going to see the balloonicles, we’re going to see the faloonicles, which are float and balloon vehicles,” explained Roker. “They’ve made up so many great names for this parade.”
All part of a tradition he and colleagues Guthrie and Kotb are proud to showcase.
“To have people come up to me and say, you’re part of my Thanksgiving tradition is still kind of mind-boggling,” Roker admitted.
Roker’s also been tackling the day’s dining tradition with his “Cooking Up a Storm” podcast but he has to wait until the weekend to put those lessons to use because of his parade duties.
“By the time it’s done, I’m done,” said Roker. “The turkey’s cooked. I’m cooked.”
And America’s stuffed with a morning of Thanksgiving pageantry. The “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” airs Thursday at 9 a.m., right after “Today.”