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CNN Live Event/Special
Thanksgiving in America 2025. Aired 8-8:30a ET
Aired November 27, 2025 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:34]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All across the country, families getting ready for full houses, full plates, and a full day of football.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: It's Thanksgiving morning, so once you've got the turkey and pies in the oven, come start your celebration with us.
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Over the next four hours, you'll have a front-row seat to the biggest parades across America.
BERMAN: New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, we're live watching fabulous floats and big-time balloons. The Snoopy is going right by us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks bigger in person.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to flap these wings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We come every year to watch it. It's a family tradition.
HILL: Plus, special performances from country superstar Brad Paisley.
(MUSIC)
SIDNER: The Harlem Gospel Choir is going to be here. Happy Thanksgiving.
BERMAN: As well as the Temptations, the Four Tops, and the cast of the Broadway musical "Six."
(MUSIC)
HILL: With appearances from Pentatonix.
PENTATONIX, POP GROUP: Hey!
HILL: Lea Michele, Leighton Meester, T.I., Simu Liu, and Craig Robinson.
PENTATONIX: Happy Thanksgiving, CNN.
BERMAN: Chef Alex Guarnaschelli dishes up a new twist on holiday favorites.
ALEX GUARNASCHELLI, CHEF: This is really coming together for a fantastic CNN Thanksgiving.
HILL: So, let's kick off the holiday season with parades, performances, and a whole lot of pie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the people. At the end of the day, what makes a place special are the people.
BERMAN: This is a CNN Special Event, "Thanksgiving in America."
All right, hello and welcome to "Thanksgiving in America." You're looking at the very beginning of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. That is Tom the Turkey here in New York City, ready to kick it all off. We are live on the parade route on Manhattan's Upper West Side. I'm John Berman alongside Sara Sidner.
SIDNER: It took us a bit to get here for the 99th time that you are going to be seeing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. That's how long it has been going on. We were sort of like salmon going upstream in a sardine can. It was nuts. That's because there are around 3.5 million people that line this parade route. This year the parade is going to feature 34 balloons.
You just saw Tom the Turkey. 28 floats, 11 marching bands, 33 clown crews -- clown crews
BERMAN: 34.
SIDNER: 34, and much more. Yesterday I got a sneak peek at the balloons as they were being inflated. In addition to those 34 giant balloons that you're seeing there. By the way, that is everyone's -- one of everyone's favorites. You know, you're seeing Woodstock there and it blows up to be Snoopy. Balloons are handmade. Yes, they're hand-painted in New Jersey and take about five months to create.
BERMAN: Wow. Watching that made me all excited for the parade. I see Tom the Turkey behind me. It's all happening. We're also joined by Erica Hill down the parade route on 44th Street. Good morning to you, my friend.
HILL: Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. I am thrilled to be back with you. You tell Tom that we are preparing a very warm welcome for him. As he makes his way down here to us. We are a little bit further along the parade route.
I have a lot of friends here with me in the crowd. Some here for the first time, others are veterans. They're passing on their tips. This is, of course, the place to be, Sara, as you noted. The 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade here in New York City. But we are not stopping in New York because this is Thanksgiving in America. That means we are taking you across the country.
We are making stops with our friends in Atlanta, in Chicago, Houston, Detroit. Where the famous big heads are in the parade there. We're also going to take you to meet some friends in Los Angeles who are making this a day of service.
For so many people, it is a day to give thanks. But it is also a day to give back. And we're going to meet some of those who are really serving us today. And every day we'll take you to Germany to meet some of the men and women who are serving overseas. As they receive a special meal, which, of course, they deserve on this Thanksgiving.
A lot to get to. So, we are stuffing a lot into four hours, including an obscene number of Thanksgiving puns. So, there you go.
SIDNER: We heard the puns, the stuffing a lot. And we've got six turkeys, I mean friends, who are out in different places.
[08:05:04]
BERMAN: Let's get right to Harry Enten, who's at the start of the parade route, talking about turkey. So, Harry, what is new for this year, 2025?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Well, I'll tell you what's new, or what's old, I should say. You know, I have my anemometer giving you a weather report. We were all worried about the wind. But the bottom line is, I'm looking at my anemometer, and it's barely getting up to a mile per hour, which is way, way lower than the threshold in which the balloons would not in fact hit.
What is new for this year's parade is my outfit is obviously new. I've got myself a pumpkin pie hat. And more than that, I'm starting up here at the start of the parade. I am right now between West 75th and West 76th. And I will be marching throughout the day. We will, in fact, be following me down Central Park West. Then I'll be making my turn east, going down 6th Avenue. And I will finally meet up with our dear friend Erica Hill.
But the bottom line is this. I am dressed. I am ready to go. It is only 46 degrees. But you know what? That's a whole heck of a lot better than it was last year. And I will just tell you guys, Sara Sidner and John Berman, I am absolutely thrilled to be here. The weather is actually clear.
Last year, I got soaked. But this year, I'm going to stay dry. And it seems to me, based upon my anemometer using my Penn State weather camp experience, that we are in perfect conditions for a beautiful, wonderful, absolutely fantastic, any adjective, any adverb you can find, this year it all applies and it is all in the positive, guys.
SIDNER: All the superlatives and wonderful hat. I know there is more to come, but you always have your bills near your heart, I see. And Tom the Turkey, by the way, is coming up fast. You better watch out.
BERMAN: I will see. Look over your shoulder there, Harry. The parade really starts with Harry Enten and ends with Santa Claus, just as the universe always intended.
SIDNER: Exactly. And while New York is getting all the shine and the national televised parade, it is the city of brotherly love that actually has the longest running Thanksgiving Day parade in the United States.
Today marks the 106th year. Let's go live to Brad Smith, who is in Philly for us this morning. What do you see? Another turkey.
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: Well, while we're talking superlatives and adjectives out here, let's talk about Phenomenal Philadelphia. And as you mentioned, it is the O.G. of all the Thanksgiving Day parades. Started in 1920 by gimbals and it ended with a Santa climbing to the top of the department store to ultimately greet some of the kids.
We're not going to climb to the top of any department stores today. But we've got some active, lively Philadelphians behind us. You can see some of the floats that are already inflated here. You've got the gingerbread man. You've got the turkey here. And we're actually going to go a little bit closer into that turkey as well here.
I was able to meet David Washington, who has actually been on this parade route for 13 years. And that is his turkey, Major Drumstick. So, we're going to see a lot more of that today.
We've also got Peppa Pig. If you've got any Peppa Pig fans out there, fret not. We're going to have Peppa Pig sliding through in just a little bit as well.
So, thank you so much for having us out here, number one. And number two, you're going to check back in, you're going to see a lot of Kelly Green as well. As well as probably some more of the -- we saw some large bicycles coming through a moment ago.
I don't know how they're keeping balance, but they're finding a way to do it here in these Philadelphia streets this morning.
BERMAN: Yeah, Brad Smith in Philadelphia, thanks so much.
(CROSSTALK)
BERMAN: You know what I'm wondering in Philadelphia?
SIDNER: Oh, I knew that was coming.
BERMAN: Well, the Eagles, right?
SIDNER: I knew that was coming.
BERMAN: What I was going to say, if any of the floats get stuck, they can do a float tush push to keep them going in honor of the Philadelphia Eagles.
SIDNER: Because that's legal now, right? There was a --
BERMAN: It's legal for now.
SIDNER: For now, OK.
BERMAN: So, get it in while you still can. All right. That's Philadelphia. Let's go right to the middle of the
country. Motor City, Detroit for America's Thanksgiving parade presented by Gardner-White. The parade is also celebrating its 99th year. And somewhere behind those glasses.
SIDNER: Nice.
BERMAN: I see Isabel Rosales. Isabel, good morning and happy Thanksgiving to you.
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Can you see me better now? Welcome to Motor City. This is such a magical day for Detroit.
Let me tell you, it is chilly up in here. It's 30-something degrees. But Detroiters are built different, and they know what they're doing. This is -- as you mentioned, the 99th year. I'm sorry -- I'm hearing these turkey sounds in the background. This is the 99th year of them doing this parade. They are experienced at this. And we're going to see a stream of balloons, of floats, of magical and unique things that are so Detroit, including the world's largest collection of papier- mache big heads.
It's the Big Head Corp. You're going to see them with famous Detroiters, famous residents of Michigan, including Rosa Parks, Magic Johnson, Gerald and Henry Ford, all sorts of people.
[08:10:10]
The smiles on folks' faces is incredible. 2,000-plus volunteers are out here. A million spectators will be here watching the full thing. It is a three-mile route that's expected to start off here in about 45 minutes. We just saw some of the runners, those people that are -- I cannot, I don't even know how they do it, get up bright and early in this cold and start running through these streets. Once that wraps up, we'll see the first floats going down World War Avenue, which is the first highway built here in the United States.
Guys.
SIDNER: And because it's Motor City.
BERMAN: Absolutely. You got to get around.
SIDNER: Motown. Love it. We will check back in with you. We hear that she has some special surprises throughout the entire four hours that we will be with you. So, we are looking forward to that.
BERMAN: And she mentioned one thing that I've noticed here in New York when we passed all 3.5 million people on our way here, which is everyone smiling.
SIDNER: Yeah.
BERMAN: Everyone here is smiling. Everyone is so excited. I got a smile right there, which you can't see right in front of us here. Everyone is so excited to see this parade, which kicks off momentarily with Top of the Turkey. Crowds are lining the streets here, and they're lining the streets in Chicago for one of that city's biggest Thanksgiving traditions.
And Whitney Wild is there along the parade route. Great to see you this morning. Whitney, what do we expect?
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. We expect a real example of how much Chicago is such a melting pot. So, this is a parade that really honors the long list of different cultural influences here in Chicago.
We have floats that honor the Hawaiian influence, the Punjabi influence, Korean dancers, Chinese dancers, martial arts performers. This group behind me is just wrapping up their practice run here for the parade that's supposed to kick off here in about an hour. One group that we are very excited to show you today is The Jesse White Tumblers.
This is an organization that has been around since 1959. The goal is to give at-risk youth an alternative. This group has performed all around the country, all around the world, as far away as Japan and Hong Kong. Here's more from The Jesse White Tumblers.
EMMANUEL MCGHEE, HEAD COACH, JESSE WHITE TUMBLING TEAM: Performing for the Thanksgiving Day Parade means joy. Just giving thanks to what we do to showcase our performance skills for all those crowds who love us, who normally come out every year.
WILD: This is the 91st year for this parade in downtown Chicago. We are right outside Macy's, right here on State Street in Randolph, right in the heart of the city.
Back to you.
SIDNER: Whitney, we want to see some reporter involvement. Maybe you can do a few of those tumbles for us while you're out there. I don't know if that would be a little too dangerous.
WILD: I can, but it won't be pretty.
SIDNER: But I hear you've got the skills.
(CROSSTALK)
WILD: You're going to be a compliment I do not deserve, but thank you.
SIDNER: All good. Charlotte, didn't wait to start the party. They celebrated their 79th Thanksgiving Eve Parade last night. The young kids, to those young at heart, all standing out there smiling.
Oh, look, already the Christmas lights are there. This was in uptown Charlotte, and it was packed. And you see, they've got the bands, they've got the music, they've got people dancing around. It was a beautiful night there in Charlotte for a parade.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ARLEIGH: Hi. May name is Arleigh (sp?). Is this on TV?
SIDNER: It's not live. It's going to be tomorrow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy Thanksgiving.
ARLEIGH: Oh, Happy Thanksgiving.
SIDNER: This woman here --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey.
SIDNER: -- she's trying to take my job. She's trying to take my job. Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good evening there, everyone, and welcome to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Parade. We're having a great time tonight. All right.
(CHEERING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm taking pictures of people --
SIDNER: A wonderful representative.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- a couple.
SIDNER: What is your favorite part of being in the parade?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That I get to see some of my friends.
SIDNER: Of course, it's because look at us. That's why I'm here, to see some of my friends.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Of course, it's because -- look at that, that's why I'm here to see some of my friends.
BERMAN: You poor thing. You poor thing. I hope Thanksgiving gets better for you.
SIDNER: Oh, that's what you sound like right now.
BERMAN: That's right.
SIDNER: The Grinch.
BERMAN: My heart is two sizes too small.
SIDNER: But look at the wonderful floats, and there's all sorts of things that went on last night. There were some go-karts, too, out there. Capping off a visit from Jolly Old Saint Nick, because this is to get us into the spirit of buying. I mean, of celebrating.
BERMAN: You can see them there in Charlotte, enjoying it. They began last night. We're enjoying it this morning. Let's get down to 44th Street, where we find our friend Erica Hill.
HILL: And a lot of friends enjoying it here, too. Look, we still have so much more to come over the next several hours, including, listen, if you're not a Brussels sprouts person, we are about to change your mind.
[08:15:00]
Chef Alex Guarnaschelli is going to join us. She's taking Brussels sprouts from ug to absolutely unforgettable. That is ahead. But first, we have a very special message from a friend of ours. You probably know him as the Fonz.
HENRY WINKLER: Hi, Henry Winkler here, wishing you all the happiest of Thanksgivings. I wish you a table of peace that is delish and that is joyful, no matter how big or how small. And that sandwich the next day, oh, my God, I can't wait.
Happy Thanksgiving.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:20:24]
BERMAN: All right, that is Tom the Turkey. You can tell Tom is ready for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which kicks off in just a minute. Look at all the people there before Tom who will lead the way as he heads down Central Park West on this 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
This is "Thanksgiving in America." We're watching the parades, enjoying the festivities all around the country. The parades come before the food. I'm hungry.
SIDNER: Already, Tom the Turkey is in trouble.
BERMAN: And if your table is a mess of mismatched forks, don't panic. Bobby Berk is here to show you a zero-stress way to make everything look more festive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOBBY BERK, HGTV HOST: Bobby Berk here, and I want to wish you all a beautiful, beautiful Thanksgiving Day. One of my favorite things about the holidays is setting up my tablescape. I love to mix and match. So, I like to use a woven placemat because it adds a little texture. It adds a little pattern. It adds a little, you know, drama.
And then for plates, I like to use different colored plates. All right, so for napkins, I like to do a little something fun and interesting. So, first of all, I use a cloth napkin because it's more environmentally friendly.
I like to fold in these little conversation starter cards. And I fold. And then you've got a great little pocket. Everyone gets one. And it breaks the ice. To add a little drama height-wise to your table, I love using a nice,
tall taper. And you can get candle holders in different heights. So, for my centerpiece, the great thing about using gourds or pumpkins and squashes is not only is it beautiful, but they're also things that afterwards you can cook. So, nothing is going to waste here. So, cascade the larger pieces out around the table first. And then you can build around those.
All right, so for your place setting, napkin first. I like to put it right here on top of the plate. That way it is easily accessible the moment they sit down.
Now, for your silverware, knife goes on the right. Spoon goes right next to it. For your forks, your main dinner fork goes right next to the plate. And then your salad fork on the out.
You put your wine glass right here on the right. And then a water glass right next to it. And you've got the perfect table setting.
For my final step, I love to press some flowers into the cauliflower. It adds just a little drama.
All right, everybody, that is my tablescape. I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to check out my new show, Junk or Jackpot. It premieres later this year on HGTV.
And Happy Thanksgiving, America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: That's a lot of gourds.
BERMAN: We're gourd-positive.
SIDNER: Completely. Our thanks to Bobby Berk for that. Junk or Jackpot premieres Friday, December 26th at 9.30 p.m. on HGTV.
I thought they were talking about us, Junk or Jackpot. I'm going to go with Jackpot, OK? We're going to be nice this Thanksgiving. The episodes will be available to stream the next day on HBO Max and Discovery Plus.
BERMAN: All right, so now that we have the table set, thanks to Bobby there.
SIDNER: Yes, already.
BERMAN: We need to put something on it. Food Network Chef Alex Guarnaschelli is here to show us her delicious Brussels sprouts recipe.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUARNASCHELLI: Hi, I'm Alex Guarnaschelli. I'm part of the Food Network family, and we are actually in Food Network kitchens. It's Thanksgiving morning, and I thought I would share some of the dishes that I love that I think would be great for your kitchen that I make for my own family.
And let me tell you, passing the test with Thanksgiving recipes for my family is tough. I like to kind of make a Brussels sprout side dish that's simple, but really makes the ingredient pop. The first thing you want to do is just trim that little end off.
And in doing that, you'll see some of the leaves from the outer layers start to naturally kind of fall off the Brussels sprout. Let's start by seasoning them. I'm going to start with just a little bit of olive oil, pinch of sugar, and a little nutmeg. Not much. A few cracks of pepper. And then we go right on to the tread.
So, this is something you can pop right into the oven and roast while your turkey's resting and you're getting everything else together. Split Brussels sprouts, and we'll go right into the oven with this.
Next, I get a little apple cider vinegar, some maple syrup. Again, that holiday flavor. Pinch of salt, little crack of pepper, little bit of olive oil in there. Not much.
To that end, I like to add a little ginger. I love ginger with cranberry sauce. Tablespoon and a half, grated ginger. Mix that in. In there, some dried cranberries. And then some pecans. So, American, pecans. And I mean, of course, pecan pie, right?
[08:25:07]
All right, so once those Brussels sprouts have cooked and are tender, they come out. I've got 350-degree oil here. About those leaves we peeled off. I'm going to take a little handful, and I'm going to go in. It's like popcorn. And it smells like popcorn.
Once the water has come out and the steam has escaped, everything starts to calm down. All right.
Now, a slotted spoon or a spider. So, useful here. Separate them a little bit. Can you hear that? It's like the rustling of fall leaves. A little bit of salt right on there.
Now, the fun part. I think it's so pretty. A nice layer of those. And then remember our cranberry, pecan, ginger, maple syrup. You want to plate this like you're imagining everybody getting a bite.
But wait. There's more. Check this out. You just know -- I mean, how could -- nature's potato chip.
Stop it. Stop it, Brussels sprout. Check it out. Ginger, cranberries, pecans, Brussels sprouts. Just look at this. And just great textures, great flavor. And so easy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: That looks amazing. I think I know what I'm making this weekend. Also, way to sell the Brussels sprouts, potato chips. There you go. That looks so delicious. So, much of this holiday, of course, is about
food. We know that that is a struggle, though, for so many Americans. And that is another reason why today is often a real reason for people to give back, including actress Leighton Meester.
Our Stephanie Elam caught up with her recently in Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELBA ESCOBAR: (Foreign Language) I need a turkey.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You need a turkey.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The L.A. rain couldn't stop Elba Escobar from being first in line for a free holiday meal. Although it did briefly pause our interview, Escobar was 10 hours early for one of more than 500 turkeys and nearly 1,000 hot meals.
ELAM: Happy Thanksgiving.
ESCOBAR: Same to you.
ELAM (voice-over): From turkey and potatoes to milk and eggs, some served by a special guest.
ELAM: Do people recognize you?
LEIGHTON MEESTER, ACTRESS AND ADVOCATE FOR FEEDING AMERICA: No.
ELAM (voice-over): But Leighton Meester recognizes what many families are going through.
She might be a Hollywood star known for Gossip Girl and HBO's I Love L.A., but here, fighting food insecurity takes center stage.
MEESTER: When I was growing up, we definitely struggled with food insecurity. We relied on food stamps. Even to this day, when I check out at a grocery store, there's always, like, a part of me that thinks about that and has made me maybe just more aware and all the more grateful.
ELAM: That's why she volunteers with the nonprofit Feeding America. For the last decade, she's helped at food pantries, schools, and women's shelters, often with her husband, Adam Brody.
MEESTER: You connect with people. It just is the face-to-face contact that's giving a face to the cause.
CLAIRE BABINEAUX-FONTENOT, CEO, FEEDING AMERICA: Hunger in America looks like each of us.
ELAM (voice-over): Feeding America's CEO says every county and parish in America has people going hungry and that she used to be one of them.
BABINEAUX-FONTENOT: I get a chance to give back. So many people experiencing hunger volunteer at pantries and at food banks. So many of them just need a little lift up, and when they get there, they give back to their communities.
ROSIE LOPEZ: I went without a Thanksgiving for many, many years.
ELAM (voice-over): Rosie Lopez says taking care of her physically disabled husband limits her income.
ELAM (on camera): What does that mean to someone like you who can benefit from this, that people are so caring?
LOPEZ: It's a blessing. It's a thanksgiving day every day to me.
ELAM: By the end, the L.A. sun returned, and this community had not only food but hope and thanks.
LOPEZ: God bless this place, and God bless America.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And our thanks to Stephanie Elam and to all the wonderful folks at Feeding America today and every day the rest of the year.
There is so much to come here. We are counting down. We are moments away from the start of the parade right here in New York City. Tom the turkey getting ready to kick things off. We're going to bring that to you. Before we get there, though, we have another special message, this time from Pentatonix.
PENTATONIX: Hey, it's Pentatonix.
And we're wishing you a happy Thanksgiving.
Yes, absolutely. And come see us on tour. We're on tour right now with the Christmas in the City tour. It's super fun, and we'd love to see you there.
And we have a new album coming out.
Woo! See you guys.
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
