Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Share this page:

For More Information

Web: Macys.com

Email: Contact Us

Mail: Macy's Band Selection Committee
11 Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001

Parade Line: 212-494-5432

If you're interested in entering your band in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, click here to download the official band application form (pdf format). The deadline to apply for the 2014 parade is March 1, 2013.

View more Marching.com Featured Events

Photo Galleries

Photo Essay: A day in the life of a Macy's Parade marching band

2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Marching Band Photos

2011 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Marching Band Photos

2010 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Marching Band Photos

2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Marching Band Photos

Related Stories

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade reveals band selections by surprise visits

First band selection announced for 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off the holidays with unparalleled pomp and pageantry. In 2009 the parade began a new tradition by heading down its new route on 7th Avenue for the first time.

The scale of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is immense: more than 3.5 million people view the parade live along the parade route, and more than 50 million viewers tune in to the television broadcast. Spectators watch in awe as 10,000 participants — including the nation's best marching bands, performance groups, giant helium balloons, breathtaking floats and the one-and-only Santa Claus — pass before their eyes.

   View A day in the life of a Macy's Parade marching band

Each year, top marching bands of all varieties from across the country are invited to represent their states in the annual parade. In addition, the Macy's Great American Marching Band returns to the parade route this November with more than 250 participants representing all 50 states.

Band directors are invited to submit an application along with a DVD of a field marching performance to the Macy's Band Selection Committee. Applicants are thoroughly reviewed and decisions are made by early May, approximately 18 months in advance of the invited bands' appearance.

• Concord High School Marching Band, Elkhart, Indiana
• Lakota West High School Marching Band, West Chester, Ohio
• Macy's Great American Marching Band, USA
• Marian Catholic High School Marching Band, Chicago Heights, Illinois
• Mountain View High School Marching Band, Mesa, Arizona
• NYPD Marching Band, New York
• Ooltewah High School Marching Band, Tennessee
• Tarpon Springs High School Marching Band, Florida
• Union High School Marching Band, Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Quantico Marine Corps Band, Quantico, Virginia
• University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band, Amherst, Massachusetts

As of May 20, 2013

• American Fork High School, Utah
• C.W. Baker High School, Baldwinsville, New York
• Center Grove High School, Greenwood, Indiana
• Churchill High School, San Antonio, Texas
• Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Lexington, Kentucky
• Foothill High School, Henderson, Nevada
• Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
• Macy's Great American Marching Band, USA
• NYPD Marching Band, New York
• Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina

Bands participating in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade often take advantage of additional performance and educational opportunities during their visit to New York City. Some of the activities that bands have included on their itineraries are:

• Attending a Broadway show at one of the many theatres along the Great White Way
• Taking a harbor cruise for a unique view of the Statue of Liberty and the city skyline
• Seeing a performance at New York's legendary music venues, including Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall or Lincoln Center

Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thursday, November 26, 2015
(Always held on Thanksgiving Day)

Web: Macys.com

Email: Contact Us
Mail: Macy's Band Selection Committee, 11 Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001
Parade Line: 212-494-5432

If you're interested in entering your band in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, click here to download the official band application form (pdf format). The deadline to apply for the 2014 parade is March 1, 2013.

Recent Headlines: 2013 Portland Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade Lineup | 2013 WGI Color Guard Championships Photos | Marching.com on Facebook | Marching.com on Twitter | Marching.com on Pinterest