In the US, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade marches on despite wind gusts

"On Thursday, the parade forged ahead in the United States despite the threat of strong winds. In the lead-up to the annual tradition, the National Weather Service had warned of potential gusts of up to 35 miles per hour, equivalent to 56 kilometres (35 miles) per hour. Powerful blasts of wind reaching 55km/h (34mph) could have grounded the event, as could sustained winds of 37km/h (23mph), per parade rules."

"Those precautions were adopted after the 1997 edition of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when fierce weather knocked a balloon representing the children's book The Cat in the Hat into a light post. The streetlamp snapped, hitting spectators watching the parade below. One 34-year-old woman was struck on the head and spent nearly a month in a coma. As of 2025, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has only been cancelled three times, from 1942 to 1944."

"This year's edition features 34 giant, helium-filled balloons, including new entries like the Disney character Buzz Lightyear, the video game character Pac-Man and the plumber Mario from the game Super Mario Bros. The star of the Wicked film series Cynthia Erivo and singers from the Netflix hit K-Pop Demon Hunters made appearances as the parade's 28 floats sailed down the street. Macy's estimates that 3.5 million people line the streets each year to see the parade, and more than 50 million watch the event's broadcast."

Macy's held its 99th Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, with marching bands, giant balloons and a holiday sleigh navigating between high rises. National Weather Service warnings raised concerns about gusts up to 35 miles per hour, and parade rules note blasts of 55km/h or sustained 37km/h could ground balloons. Precautions follow a 1997 incident when a Cat in the Hat balloon struck a streetlamp and injured a spectator. The parade featured 34 helium-filled balloons, 28 floats, celebrity appearances, an approximately 4-kilometre route along Central Park West and 6th Avenue, and large in-person and broadcast audiences.

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