"I just like the magic of Thanksgiving," spectator Megan Keebaugh said.
"I came as a kid and I had such great memories of it, so I wanted to bring them this year," another attendee said.
"For me it's tradition. And it's nice to start a new tradition with them," Joe Lattanzi explained his motivation to bring his family.
Crowds gather to watch 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Eyewitness News' Phil Taitt also spoke with a marching band from Northern Arizona University, thrilled to perform at the parade. For many of the band members, this marks their first time visiting New York City.
"We've been rehearsing for about two months, we first found out that we're going to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Fall 2024, so we've had a lot of time to do a lot of the stuff behind the scenes, the logistics," one band member said.
"We are having such a magical time... we're just so lucky," another performer added.
Performers excited to perform at 2025 Thanksgiving parade
Will Coss, the parade's executive producer, also spoke with Eyewitness News.
"There's a ton of excitement out here ... we've got brand new floats, balloons ... It's going to be an exciting show!" Coss emphasized.
RELATED | Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025: Everything to know about the 99th annual NYC tradition
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