How to watch and stream the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

NEW YORK (AP) — The holiday season really kicks off when the massive helium balloons start floating through New York. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade — two years away from its 100th birthday — this year will feature 17 giant character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups and more stars than can fit around a table.

The parade begins rain or shine on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and ends at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, which serves as a stage and backdrop for performances.

Here’s key things to know about the parade and how to watch it.

For the second year in a row, Thursday's parade starts at 8:30 a.m., in all time zones.

It will be on NBC, available with an antenna or through cable and satellite providers.

For cord cutters, the parade is being simulcast on Peacock and an encore telecast begins at 2 p.m. EST/PST. A Spanish language simulcast will also be on Telemundo.

It may be a wet day — forecasts call for rain with temperatures in the upper-40s with clouds and winds around 10 mph. New York City law prohibits Macy’s from flying the full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph or wind gusts are over 35 mph.

This year is starrier than ever. Grammy-, Oscar-, Emmy- and Tony-winner Jennifer Hudson will perform, as will global pop icon and Grammy-winner Kylie Minogue and Tony-, Grammy-, and Emmy winner Billy Porter.

Reality TV’s Ariana Madix, Broadway belter Idina Menzel, hip-hop’s T-Pain, members of the WNBA champions New York Liberty and country duo Dan + Shay. Other music performers include The War and Treaty, Lea Salonga, Loud Luxury, The Temptations, Chlöe, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots and Coco Jones. It will kick off with “Glow” actor Alison Brie cutting the ribbon.

For those watching on TV or computers, the trio of hosting stalwarts — Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker from “Today.” But this year might be more emotional since it could be Kotb's last — her last official day at “Today” will be Jan. 10.

There will be six new featured character balloons, including Minnie Mouse, “Extraordinary Noorah” with The Elf on the Shelf, Gabby from “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” Goku from ”Dragon Ball," Marshall from "Paw Patrol" and a new “Spider-Man.”

New floats include ones from brands like Disney Cruise Line, Haribo, “Wednesday” from Netflix,” Universal Orlando Resorts and “The Grannies Car” from BBC Studios’ “Bluey.” Nickelodeon and Paramount’s “Dora the Explorer” will have both a float and a balloon. One new float will spotlight the Rao’s food brand, featuring a knight and a dragon in battle made with actual pasta elements. Another will celebrate The Bronx Zoo's 125th anniversary with representations of a tiger, a giraffe, a zebra and a gorilla.

The marching bands will hail from Massachusetts, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, South Dakota, Georgia, South Carolina, West Virginia and, naturally, New York.

FILE - Members of the Texas Tech Marching band perform during the 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie, file)

This album cover image released by Interscope Records shows "The Gift of Love" by Jennifer Hudson. (Interscope Records via AP)

FILE - The Tom Turkey float leads the way down Central Park West during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 24, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)

FILE - Parade performers lead the Tom Turkey float down Central Park West at the start of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on Nov. 23, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)

FILE - The Stuart the Minion balloon floats appears during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 24, 2022, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer price increases accelerated last month, the latest sign that inflation's steady decline over the past two years has stalled in recent months.

According to the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, consumer prices rose 2.3% in October from a year earlier, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. That is up from just 2.1% in September, though it is still only modestly above the Fed's 2% target.

Yet excluding the volatile food and energy categories, so-called “core” prices also picked up, climbing 2.8% last month from a year earlier, up from 2.7% in September. Economists closely watch core prices because they typically provide a better read on where inflation is headed.

Inflation has fallen sharply since it peaked at 7% in mid-2022, according to the Fed's preferred measure. Yet yearly core inflation has fluctuated between 2.6% and 2.8% since February. Price increases have remained elevated in services, including apartment rents, restaurant meals, and car and home insurance.

The elevated reading could make the Federal Reserve less likely to cut its key rate at the next meeting in December. Next month's inflation data, some of which will be issued a week before the meeting, may play a key role in the Fed's decision.

“This report will likely provide further ammo to Fed officials who prefer to lower rates gradually,” Omair Sharif, chief economist at Inflation Insights, wrote in a client note, “and may strengthen the argument for a pause at the December FOMC meeting.”

Many economists, however, expect that the Fed will reduce its rate by a quarter-point in December, then delay further cuts while gauging the impact of the reductions they've made so far.

“The momentum in inflation toward the Fed’s 2% target has sputtered recently but not enough, in our view, to prevent the Fed from cutting interest rates in December,” Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, wrote in a client note.

Last month, grocery prices barely rose and gas costs fell, providing some relief to household budgets. Prices at the pump have continued to decline since October, reaching a nationwide average of $3.07 a gallon Wednesday, down six cents from a month earlier, according to AAA.

Used car and truck prices, however, shot up 2.8% from September to October, though they are still 5% lower than a year ago. Air fares jumped 1.5% just last month and have risen 5.1% from a year earlier, while hotel room prices rose 0.5% from September to October. Restaurant prices moved up 0.3% in October and 3.6% from a year earlier. All the yearly increases are higher than they were pre-pandemic.

Wednesday's report also underscored that Americans' incomes and spending remained healthy, a key reason the economy has kept growing this year despite widespread fears of a slowdown. Incomes grew 0.6% from September to October, faster than economists had expected, while consumer spending rose by a solid 0.4% last month.

President-elect Donald Trump's victory could also slow Fed rate cuts. His proposals to cut taxes and reduce government regulation could spur faster growth, but could also overheat the economy and lift inflation. And his threats to impose widespread tariffs, if carried out, would likely push up prices.

The Fed had signaled it would cut rates four times next year, but financial markets now expect just two reductions.

FILE - Shoppers reach for items on display in a Costco warehouse Nov. 19, 2024, in Lone Tree, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)