Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Bands
Want to March or Perform in the New York City Celebration?
Macy's invites bands, pep squads and dance teams from throughout the nation to march and perform in its annual parade, but the standards are high.
Macy’s says more than two million people line New York City streets to watch its Thanksgiving Day Parade and NBC says another 50 million see it on television, making it a dream event for high school bands, cheerleaders, pep squads and dance troupes.
It’s a dream any young entertainment unit can share because Macy’s invites groups from throughout the nation to submit appearance applications The applications can be found on Macy’s parade website.
It’s a dream that does come true every year, but only for a limited number of performers and musicians. Many are invited, but few are chosen.
Twelve bands are scheduled to march in the November 22, 2007 Thanksgiving parade and are listed on the parade website. Although they have not yet been announced, the 2008 bands and performing groups had already been selected by October 2007.
Openings Still Available for 2009 Parade
But 26 months before the event, there were still band and performing group openings for the November 2009 parade.
The applications are extensive. They require a description of the unit and performances, leadership, photos and tapes, letters of recommendations, previous parades and festivals, press clippings, awards and honors. There is also a warning that Macy’s does not guarantee any unit will receive television or radio coverage.
College bands selected for 2007 included the University of Oklahoma marching band and the Virginia Tech "Highty Tighties."
Great Marching Band Will Join High School Bands in Parade
High school units included bands from Albertville, Alabama; American Fork, Utah; and Ooltewah, Tennessee, as well as Concord HS of Elkhart, Indiana; Marian Catholic HS of Chicago Heights, Illinois; Paul Laurence Dunbar HS of Lexington, Kentucky; and Stephenson HS of Stone Mountain, Georgia.
Also scheduled to march was the New York Police Department Band and Macy’s Great American Marching Band composed of 200 young musicians from all 50 states. Applications to play with that unit are available on the band's website.
The parade route is 2.5 miles and New York City’s late November weather has been known to be cold, and sometimes wet for the three hour event.
Parade Trip Can Be Combined with Other New York City Visits
But the opportunity to participate in the parade opens other doors for the musicians and performers. While visiting New York they can arrange to also:
- View the filling of the gigantic parade balloons with helium the night before the parade.
- See Santa Claus open Macy’s 75-foot Christmas window display, revealing the store’s special theme and products of the year.
- Visit such New York City landmarks as the Empire State Building Observatory, Rockefeller Center, the Museum of Natural History, Grand Central Station, the New York Stock Exchange or the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- See the Statue of Liberty
- Shop on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, at either Macy’s or its famous competitor, Bloomingdale’s.
- See one of New York’s famous Broadway, or off-Broadway, plays.
But those opportunities come after the group has been accepted to perform in the Thanksgiving Day parade and has raised appropriate funds for the trip.
