Two Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade fixtures joined forces for a memorable entrance this year.
TODAY’s Hoda Kotb kicked off festivities riding in a famous Tom Turkey float that traditionally leads all the floats to start the parade.
The animatronic Turkey rolling down the streets of Manhattan signals that the parade is underway.
«This is amazing,» Hoda said. «There is to ride with Tom Turkey, I’ve never ridden with him before. This is amazing perspective.
These points according to 1970. Hoda must serve one of the hosts of an annual extravaganza, while Tom Turkey has been regulated by this year 1970s.
«Tom Turkey is hilarious,» Hoda said. «By the way, I guess you don’t realize it from here, the crowds are like 40 deep when you’re going down that parade route. It was a perspective I’d never seen, I’m totally into it, you can feel it. And I’ve never seen this city from that perspective, so it was pretty amazing.»
Hoda and TODAY co-host Savannah Guthrie returned after a year of hosting duties for TODAY weatherman Al Roker, who is back after missing last year’s parade due to health issues.
Hoda filled in for At the end of the official ribbon cutting ceremony on 34th Street in Manhattan s Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette for the officially stop along the way.
Standing aboard Tom Turkey on Thursday, Hoda helped read a procession that featured 5,000 volunteers, 16 character balloons, 26 floats, 32 heritage and novelty balloons, more than 700 clowns, 12 marching bands, ni , and even Santa Claus himself.
