Here’s What You Can Expect from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade This Year

It’s almost Thanksgiving, and that usually means a few things. It usually means either buying a turkey and making a big meal for your entire family or traveling to visit a someone who bought a big turkey and made a big meal. It also usually means watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without watching that turkey float go down the street.

This year, things are going to be different when it comes to Thanksgiving just like things have been different when it comes to every holiday in 2020, but by now, we’ve got this. We can visit our family and celebrate via Zoom, and we can watch the parade on NBC.

If you’re used to standing along the parade route in New York City, you’re not going to be able to do that this year. There is not going to be a parade route, and the only way to watch the reimagined parade will be on TV. Prepare something delicious for breakfast and settle in to watch this reimagined version of the parade with the members of your household.

In some ways the parade will look similar to what you usually see on TV since the performances will take place in front of Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square. There will be balloons. There will be musical numbers. There will be amazing performances. There will be Santa.

What will be different is that there won’t be any performers under 18 years old, performers will be social distanced and wearing protective equipment (we imagine that means face masks), and there won’t be any fans lining the streets. If your kids love seeing the huge balloons going down the street, they will still be able to see their favorite characters, but the balloons will not be on a parade route. Another way this parade will be different is that some of the performances will be filmed the night before instead of performed live.

For more about the 2020 version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, including information about which celebrities will be performing, watch the video below.

No matter what time zone you’re in, you can watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade at 9am on NBC and Telemundo. In case you slept in or were too busy cooking, there will also be a rebroadcast at 2pm. About 50 million people are expected to tune in this year to watch the parade.

Are you going to watch the parade this year? Do you usually go to New York City to see the parade in person?