Nashua, New Hampshire’s Spartans will take the national stage this Thanksgiving as part of the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
It’s been a busy offseason for the Spartans, who are fresh off of their third-consecutive Open Class World Championship title and ready for their first-ever World Class tour this coming summer.
Since completing the 2025 DCI season, Spartans have begun preparations for 2026 auditions; in the meantime, though, the corps has held three monthly rehearsals for Thursday’s parade, starting back in September.
As the holiday season commences, here’s everything you need to know to watch and enjoy the Spartans in this year’s parade.
The nuts and bolts
A historic performance
This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade marks a milestone moment for the Spartans as they celebrate their 70th anniversary on one of the nation’s biggest stages.
The corps’ appearance comes with national television exposure and the opportunity to showcase their talents to a national audience. For the occasion, the Spartans will debut a special 70th-anniversary uniform created by Creative Costuming, paired with footwear provided by Accel Activewear. The Spartans will become one of only a small handful of Drum Corps International ensembles who have ever made the march down 34th Street.
VIDEO: Drum corps in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The week of the parade also represents the first time the full ensemble — made up of nearly 200 participants — will come together in one place. Members will arrive in New York for a condensed but intensive rehearsal schedule on Monday, November 24, learning to navigate parade-specific spacing, pacing and performance elements.
Between the behind-the-scenes preparation, the anniversary celebration, and the excitement of joining 10 other marching units and a host of featured performers, the Spartans’ Macy’s appearance offers fans a rare look at the corps in a completely unique environment.
Who else will represent the marching music activity in the 2025 Macy’s Parade?
Nearly a dozen marching ensembles of all shapes and sizes are set to appear in this year’s parade. Here’s the full rundown:
Drum corps: Spartans (Nashua, NH)
College marching bands: Alcorn State University “Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite” (Alcorn, MS), The Marching Pride of North Alabama (Florence, AL), Northern Arizona University Lumberjack Marching Band (Flagstaff, AZ), The Temple University Diamond Band (Philadelphia, PA)
High school marching bands: Catawba Ridge High School Marching Band (Fort Mill, SC), Damien High School Spartan Regiment (La Verne, CA), L.D. Bell Blue Raider Band (Hurst, TX)
Other ensembles: Banda de Música La Primavera (Santiago, Veraguas, Panama), NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY), Macy’s Great American Marching Band (Nationwide)
What’s next for the Spartans after Thanksgiving?
After the parade, the Spartans’ focus will shift to auditions and winter rehearsals as all eyes will move toward the 2026 DCI Summer Tour, the schedule for which was released November 19. Spartans’ first season as a World Class competitor will kick off July 10 in Lisle, Illinois.
