Not even a global pandemic will stop the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The 94th edition of the longstanding holiday tradition takes place at 9 am EST on Thursday (Nov. 26). While it may look a little different this year, the parade still promises to bring some Turkey Day cheer to those watching from home. There will still be plenty of eye-catching floats, giant balloons, and musical performances to get you in the Thanksgiving spirit, and the best part is: you can watch it online for free. For the fifth year in a row, NBCU and Verizon have partnered to bring “Verizon Live: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.” Fans can tune in above to watch as Mario Lopez hosts this unique view on the day’s procession. Check out the Thanksgiving Day Parades of years past.
For those who want to watch via traditional means, the show will broadcast on NBC. Some of the network’s biggest names – Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and more – will appear throughout the broadcast.
To help stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will adhere to CDC guidelines this year. That means the parade will forego its traditional 2.5-mile march down the streets of Manhattan. Instead, the parade will be confined to Macy’s flagship store on 34th street, and there will be no spectators. The number of participants in this year’s parade has been reduced by 88%, and no one under 18 is allowed. The “parade” will be “reimagined over the course of several days as a television-only event leading up to the live Thanksgiving Day broadcast.” Meaning: many of the elements of the Parade have been recorded ahead of time.
Despite these changes, the parade will still feature its trademark giant balloons. Instead of floating throughout midtown Manhattan (which requires anywhere from 80 to 100 handles to pull off safely), they’ll “employ an innovative, specially rigged anchor vehicle framework of five specialty vehicles.” There will also be plenty of floats, street performers (keep an eye out for “Unofficial Mayor of Coney Island” Dick Zigun and Lynn Nottage representing the Coney Island Mermaid Parade), and musical performances.
Actually, the 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade has quite the musical lineup. Fans can expect to see such acts as AJR, Ally Brooke, Bebe Rexha, CNCO, Darlene Love, Dolly Parton, Karol G, Keke Palmer ad Patti Labelle. Plus, Broadway will return from having its 2020 and 2021 season shortened by COVID. Songs from Mean Girls, Hamilton, Jagged Little Pill, and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life And Times of the Temptations will be performed during the parade.