Lainey Wilson’s whirlwind season didn’t slow down for Thanksgiving. Just a week after being crowned the CMA’s 2025 Entertainer of the Year, she traded Nashville for New York City to perform in one of the country’s longest-running holiday traditions: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Now in its 99th year, the parade aired live on NBC at 8:30 AM, drawing thousands of spectators along the route and millions more watching from home. The lineup included performers such as Cynthia Erivo, Mickey Guyton, Russell Dickerson, Colbie Caillat, Christopher Jackson, and Foreigner — but Wilson was positioned in one of the most iconic slots of the entire broadcast.
She appeared near the end of the parade, just moments before Santa’s grand arrival at Herald Square. Standing in front of Macy’s flagship store, she looked unmistakably Lainey — festive, bold, and fully in command. She wore a red, fluffy holiday coat layered over a long black jacket detailed with gold accents. Gold earrings, black fringed gloves, and a classic black cowboy hat pulled the look together, blending Christmas warmth with her signature country flair.
Wilson performed two songs. She opened with her dreamy, Grammy-nominated hit “Somewhere Over Laredo,” delivering it with a soft, cinematic glow that translated beautifully on a crisp New York morning. Then she shifted into a holiday rendition of “Peace, Love, and Cowboys,” transforming the crowd into an early-season celebration. It was equal parts festive, charming, and unmistakably “Lainey.”
Her Thanksgiving presence in New York comes just one year after she helped kick off the holiday season in Texas. In 2024, Wilson headlined the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Kickoff during the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day game — and stunned fans when she brought out Jelly Roll to join her for their hit duet, “Save Me.” The moment went viral instantly, cementing her as one of the holiday’s standout performers.