MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE

After being crimped by the coronavirus pandemic last year, the holiday tradition returned in full Thursday, though with precautions.

After being crimped by the coronavirus pandemic last year, the holiday tradition returned in full Thursday, though with precautions.

If Baby Yoda can make it here, he can make it anywhere. The adorable green Force-wielder from the Disney Plus "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian" soared over Broadway in Funko Pop form during the 95th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday (Nov. 25). (You can actually score a Funko Pop version of the Baby Yoda balloon, complete with his toy metal ball, for $30 at Funko.com and find more Black Friday Star Wars deals for your fans at home.) But Baby Yoda wasn't the only cosmic character to drop in on the turkey day event. Stormtroopers and an augmented reality float (complete with the Millennium Falcon) also made in an appearance along to promote the new VR game "Star Wars: Tales from The Galaxy's Edge" on Oculus Quest, which you can get with a $50 voucher in this Black Friday deal, and a giant Snoopy decked out in a NASA spacesuit floated behind a float of his Peanuts friends, bobbing just like you'd expect in zero gravity. "Oh no! Stormtroopers have Seezelslak and a porg captive! And look what's swooping in to this year's Macy's Parade to save them: the Millennium Falcon!" Macy's wrote on Twitter.

Spectators, shut out in 2020, are lining the route again. Parade staffers and volunteers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear masks, though some singers and performers can take them off.

Giant balloons once again wafted through miles of Manhattan, high school and college marching bands from around the country were back, and so were the crowds at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will return to its pre-pandemic form this year, with its route restored through Manhattan, high-flying helium balloons once again pulled by handlers and crowds welcomed back to cheer them on.

A Funko Pop!-themed Baby Yoda (Grogu) from "The Mandalorian" will become the first "Star Wars" balloon to debut at the traditional Turkey Day event.

Last year's parade was a virtual event with no crowds. Several precautions will be in place this year, including a requirement that parade volunteers be vaccinated and wear face coverings.

Macy's said Wednesday that the public will once again be able to line the streets of New York City to watch its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade live.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2021, the largest parade in the world, is taking place in New York and we're answering your questions about this year's event.

The thieves dubbed themselves the "Big Bird Bandits" and apologized for the theft of the costume with a note left in its beak.

With 600 cheerleaders set to perform at the Macy's Day Parade in New York City, 20 will be from Ingleside.

Exclusive looks into the Golden Globes, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and other live NBC events are headed to Twitter. Comcast's NBCUniversal and Twitter on Monday announced a multi-year global content partnership, in an effort to expand both the media company's and social media giant's advertising and audience reach. As part of the partnership, NBCUniversal will bring live, trending content, like scenes from red carpet events and sports highlights, to Twitter. Global audiences will then be able to watch certain coverage from the events on Twitter and discuss in real time. NBCUniversal said that since kicking off its partnership with Twitter in 2013, both companies have seen significant growth and engagement.

The Boss Baby balloon is deflated as it ends its appearance during the modified Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. The annual parade goes on but only after great changes as compared to previous years due to the current deadly pandemic. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)NEW YORK – The balloons were in the sky and the marching bands took to the streets for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, but coronavirus restrictions meant it was without the throngs of people usually scrambling for a view. Even with the pandemic protocols, the fact that the parade took place made it a rare festivity in a city that has seen most of its major events cancelled over the last year because of the virus. The parade organizers recognized that reality, including representatives of some of the New York City parades that hadn't been able to happen — the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Mermaid Parade, the Puerto Rican Day Parade and NYC Pride March.

(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)(AP) – The pandemic is turning this into a holiday shopping season like no other. And with more people shopping online, stores are doing double duty as shipping centers to try to get gifts to doorsteps as fast as possible. Meanwhile, Best Buy says that 340 of its stores are being specially designated to handle a higher volume of online orders, though all its stores ship e-commerce packages. Its goal: to have the 340 stores ship more than 70% of its ship-from-store units during the holiday quarter. Typically, 25% of holiday shopping is based on impulse, according to Marshal Cohen, chief industry advisor at NPD Group, a market research firm.

Olay's first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float, titled "Her Future is STEM-sational,” features a larger-than-life astronaut and helmet as a nod to the skincare brand’s #MakeSpaceForWomen campaign. If she could stand, the towering astronaut on Olay's first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float would need a rocket about the same size as the tallest skyscraper in New York City. The Mercury 13: The women who could have been NASA's first female astronautsOlay's space-themed 2020 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float is intended to encourage women all over the world to "Face Anything." (Image credit: Olay)The parade will air on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26) on NBC from 9 a.m. to noon in all U.S. time zones. In addition to Olay's astronaut, the parade will also mark the return of another larger-than-life spacesuited star: Astronaut Snoopy .

For the first time in its 71-year history, there won't be a giant turkey parading down the streets of Houston on Thanksgiving. The City of Houston has canceled the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But there will still be a celebration (and likely lots and lots of turkey). IN HOUSTON: Mayor Turner urges Houstonians not to invite COVID into your home this ThanksgivingInstead of the parade, H-E-B and the city will hand out thousands of Thanksgiving meals and masks at NRG Stadium the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will air at 9 a.m. CT on Thanksgiving Day.

FILE - Santa Claus waves during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Nov. 28, 2019, in New York. Macy's said Santa Claus won't be greeting kids at its flagship New York store this year due to the coronavirus, interrupting a holiday tradition started nearly 160 years ago. However, Macy's said the jolly old man will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. But he will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, the company said. Macy's has been using Santa Claus to draw crowds to its New York store since the early 1860s, calling itself “The Home of Santa Claus" for decades.

(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 Macys 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. Many of the massive helium-inflated balloons require up to 90 handlers and can be challenging to maneuver even in calm weather. In Philadelphia, local media reported early Thursday morning that high winds had forced authorities to ground balloons for the citys Thanksgiving Day parade.

The beloved balloons flew, but lower than usual, in a windy Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade after an anxious weather watch. As the parade continued even while city emergency officials sent out a public alert about wind gusts handlers struggled with some giant balloons and pulled them close to the ground. Meanwhile, winds did keep giant balloons out of Philadelphia's Thanksgiving Day parade. The Macy's parade balloons might have been lowered, but Susan Koteen's spirits weren't. "This was really a bucket list item for me, Macy's Day Parade in New York City," the 23-year-old said.

Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV or in person is an annual tradition for many families. How to watch the 2019 Thanksgiving Day ParadeParade routeThe annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade through Manhattan starts on the west side of Central Park near the American Museum of Natural History at the corner of West 77th Street and Central Park West. Winds of those speeds may ground the famed Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons due to city regulations set after the 1997 parade. 2019 Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons and floatsWeather permitting, 30 giant balloons are scheduled to make an appearance for the Thanksgiving Day parade this year. Balloons sit on Central Park West before the 90th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan, New York, U.S. November 24, 2016.

EMBED >More News Videos Michelle Charlesworth covered the balloon inflation with the help of two special correspondents - her children Jack and Isabelle. "He added that they'd like to make sure the show can go on in some form despite wind in the forecast.It will be up to the NYPD and Macy's to decide whether the wind is too strong to let the balloons fly. "We're keeping safety in mind, that's the most important thing and they will ensure a safe parade for everyone." said Lt. Patterson.Macy's issued the following statement about weather-related planning:There have a been a few incidents of balloon mishaps over the years. Officials with the parade made the assessment that it was too dangerous to fly the balloons, even before the city ever placed a rule on the balloons grounding criteria.

How much do you know about Thanksgiving Day parades?

"We have people from all around the world," Harrison said. "Safety is paramount. "He added that they'd like to make sure the show can go on in some form despite wind in the forecast.Macy's issued the following statement about weather-related planning:There have a been a few incidents of balloon mishaps over the years. The officer's shoulder was broken.There were also injuries from an incident in 2005 in which a huge M&M balloon bounced off a building and hit a light pole, tearing part of the pole down. Officials with the parade made the assessment that it was too dangerous to fly the balloons, even before the city ever placed a rule on the balloons grounding criteria.

The National Weather Service is projecting sustained winds of up to 24 mph (39 kph) with gusts to 40 mph (64 kph) during the parade. The character balloons can go as high as 55 feet (16 meters) off the ground and as low as 10 feet (3 meters), said Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison, who has the final say on whether the balloons fly. The NYPD will have thousands of officers stationed along the parade route. The department also plans to fly a drone to monitor the parade route. Big crowds are expected to line the parade route, which runs 46 blocks from the outskirts of Central Park to Macy's flagship store in midtown Manhattan.

Balloons readied for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City More than 3 million people are expected to enjoy the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday morning. Winds, however, may keep the iconic balloons grounded. CBSN New York's Ali Bauman reports.

REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File PhotoHeavy snow began falling in Denver on Monday night, with the National Weather Service (NWS) warning motorists of significant travel delays from the accumulating snow. Snowfall is expected to increase over the course of the night to about 2 inches per hour, the NWS said. Airlines and airports also warned travelers to check the status of their flight and to consider rescheduling as weather may disrupt service. Hazardous weather is expected on the East Coast starting late on Wednesday and into Thanksgiving when wind gusts up to 45 mph are possible, the NWS said. The wind could force the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City to ground its balloons.

It's Thanksgiving time, and investors' thoughts turn to holiday shopping and a year end Santa rally in the stock market. While Black Friday has probably lost some of its claim as the launch of holiday shopping, the Friday after Thanksgiving could provide an early glimpse of how much the consumer will spend this year. The National Retail Federation estimates sales should grow by about 4% in the holiday shopping season, enough to keep the economy rolling along. The coming week is often a slow one, with markets closed Thursday for Thanksgiving and stock exchanges closing down early on Friday. Developments on trade talks between the U.S. and China, are by far the most important event for markets.

Although there weren't any specific, credible threats to the United States this holiday weekend, security was still ramped up across the country. Nowhere was that more noticeable than at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Don Dahler reports.

As Thanksgiving approaches, volunteers start preparing for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Many of these volunteers will be clowns and they go to clown school to prepare. CBS News correspondent Contessa Brewer reports with more.