Twenty-twenty hasn’t taken everything from us: Macy’s historic annual Thanksgiving day parade has somehow not been canceled this year. With safety precautions in place, the fully televised event will take place on schedule, as it has for nearly a century. This year it just might look a little different.
Big changes make for a new viewing experience
In order to hold the parade this year, parade organizers have made a number of alterations to the event operations. To limit the time parade participants will spend in larger groups, the parade route has been shortened and broken up into staged performances in and around New York City’s Herald Square. The number of participants will be reduced by 75% and will be restricted to those from the New York tri-state area. All those taking part will be wearing face masks and will be required to remain appropriately socially distanced. The high school and college marching bands from around the country who usually feature have been pushed to next year’s parade and replaced with local bands.
The biggest change will be the iconic balloon march. The giant festive balloons, usually held by hundreds of handlers, will instead be rigged to special vehicles and driven along the shortened route. The physical changes will be apparent but shouldn’t take much away from the magic of the event—at least as seen on television.
How to watch the 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
In-person spectators will not be permitted this year, but there are multiple ways to watch the festivities from home. The parade takes place Thanksgiving morning from 9 a.m. to noon EST and is hosted by the Today show’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker.
Via the web
If you have at least a basic cable subscription, you can watch the parade on NBC.com. Click the “live tv” option and log with your credentials from your cable provider.
Stream the parade online
If you don’t have a cable subscription, you can still catch the full program. This year Macy’s is partnering with Verizon to stream the Thanksgiving event on YouTube. You can Tune into Verizon’s YouTube channel to catch all performances and festivities live.
View the event on social media
With your phone or tablet, you can tune into the parade performances on Verizon’s Twitter page @verizon. The live twitter presentation will be hosted by actor and tv journalist Mario Lopez. You can also access Verizon’s “parade portal,” giving you 360 degree views of each performance. See the Rockettes like never before—and not just because they’ll all be wearing face masks.