NEW YORK – Dora the Explorer, Scooby-Doo and Mr. Potato Head are set to join this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but high winds could threaten the festivities.
Parade officials have had to be careful about the weather since 1997, when the wind blew a Cat in the Hat balloon into a lamppost, severely injuring a spectator. Under current guidelines, the giant balloons are grounded when winds reach 23 mph or gust stronger than 34 mph.
The National Weather Service is predicting 15 to 20 mph winds for this morning with gusts up to 30 mph. There is a 70 percent chance of rain.
“We’re monitoring the wind,” Macy’s spokeswoman Elina Kazan said Wednesday.
Iris Weinshall, commissioner of the city Department of Transportation, said her department would meet with police and Macy’s officials at 7:45 a.m. today and decide whether the big balloons will be permitted in the parade. If they are allowed, the Department of Transportation will determine how high each of the 14 giant character balloons can fly.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that the nearly 2,000 handlers who work with the big balloons do not all receive extensive training. However, Kazan said all of the volunteers in supervisory positions have been thoroughly trained and two-thirds of the volunteers are veterans of previous parades.
“We are confident in our training program,” she said.
Assuming they do make an appearance, this year’s big balloons will include Nickolodeon’s Dora, the parade’s first Latina balloon character; Scooby-Doo; Jojo from Jojo’s Circus, and “Healthy Mr. Potato Head,” who will wear running shoes to promote the idea that potatoes are good for you.
They join returning balloons including Barney, Garfield, Big Bird and Charlie Brown.
There will also be 10 marching bands, 27 floats and performers such as LeAnn Rimes, Aaron Neville and Kristin Chenoweth.
The Macy’s parade started in 1924 and has been an annual tradition, canceled only in the World War II years of 1942 to 1944.
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