UMass Amherst’s marching band to perform during 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

UMass Amherst’s Minuteman Marching Band will be performing during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 28, 2024.

“For me, and thousands of other young student musicians who participated in his drum major academy, George Parks’ legacy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a gold standard in the marching arts. I’m thrilled to see that legacy live on today in the fine entertainment and marching excellence produced by Dr. Tim Anderson,” said Wesley Whatley, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade creative producer. “On behalf of myself and the Macy’s Parade Band Committee, I’m proud to welcome The Minuteman Marching Band back to New York City for the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.”

It was announced during halftime at the UMass vs. Toledo football game in Amherst. A check for $10,000 was presented to help the band kick off fundraising “for this well-deserved honor,” the school said in a statement.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade started in 1924. The last time the Minuteman Marching Band was part of the performance was in 2013.

“It was amazing, unbelievable,” drum major Jake Balcanoff said in 2013. “It went by quicker than I thought. It was really cool to see everything.”

The band was one of 10 selected out of more than 100 applicants.

“The Minuteman Marching Band is honored to be invited back to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Anderson. “We last performed in this event in 2013, and it was a true highlight for everyone in our organization. We can’t wait to share what our university and state are all about with a worldwide audience come Thanksgiving Day 2024.”

More than 3.5 million people in New York city and more than 50 million viewers at home watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

This year, the parade will air Nov. 23.