Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Office of Tourism announced today the Louisiana “Celebration Gator” float and Louisiana musicians will once again participate in the 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For the third year in a row, the 60-foot-long, alligator-themed float, the “Celebration Gator,” will roll through the streets of New York to encourage millions of live spectators and millions more on television to celebrate in Louisiana style.
The performance will feature Cajun fiddler Amanda Shaw from Mandeville and country singer and Alexandria native Alex Smith who will bring an energetic and exciting performance to New York aboard the gator.
“We are excited to have Amanda and Alex riding the Louisiana float this year and performing for us,” said Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “Once again, it is an amazing opportunity to share with the world our music and how Louisianans can Feed Your Soul with our celebratory spirit.”
Inspired by all facets of Louisiana’s culture and thriving tourist appeal, the “Celebration Gator” features a colorful street view of Louisiana: a blend of the New Orleans French Quarter architecture with heavy influences of Spanish colonial rule and Creole fashion. It is the longest float to ever roll in the parade, measuring 60 feet from mouth to tail. In addition to celebrating the state’s unique fusion of European, Caribbean, African, and Native American cultures, the float will include participants dressed in lavish baby gator costumes, as well as a team of stilt walkers, all done in an elaborate celebration of Louisiana traditions for millions of spectators in New York City and TV viewers across the nation.
Louisiana first joined the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2021 to encourage visitors from around the world to visit Louisiana for a one-of-a-kind experience. Lieutenant Governor Nungesser added that New Orleans award-winning musicians Jon Batiste and Trombone Shorty “knocked it out of the park” when they rode and performed during the parade in 2021 and 2022. The estimated reach in viewership totaled 2.4 billion and the estimated advertising value was $22 million for those two years.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air nationwide in the U.S. on NBC and stream on Peacock, on Thursday, November 23, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. until noon; in all time zones.
