Thanksgiving is a day for many families to come together and spend the day in each other’s company and enjoy their Thanksgiving feasts, however, this is not the only tradition that will be celebrated differently this year. Families all around the United States partake in watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, with over 3.5 million people attending the event in New York City in 2019 alone. Although the Macy’s Parade is still scheduled to run this year, there will be a few changes from previous years due to accommodations because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a tradition in many households in the U.S, and this year will be no exception to that. The parade has not been cancelled this year even with the COVID-19 pandemic, but just like many events that occurred this year, there will be extra precautions taken to make sure the event still follows pandemic guidelines to keep the participants safe. In previous years, there were roughly 8,000 to 10,000 participants in the parade, however that number has been cut significantly this year to about 2,000 participants for this year’s parade. The parade will also be filmed on two separate days, with some segments being filmed the day prior to the parade to help keep the participants socially distant. Millions of New Yorkers and tourists come to watch the parade each year, however this year, they will be experiencing the parade in a different way; from the comfort of their homes.

Although the parade will look a little different this year, it will not be much different for those who had already watched the event from home. The parade will still have it’s infamous extravagant balloons and floats; these being anchored by only vehicles rather than actual trained handlers. They will also still be hosting an array of celebrities and performers such as Dolly Parton, Jordin Sparks, and Leslie Odom Jr. from the cast of the original Broadway musical “Hamilton”. The parade will also be hosting dancers from the New York City Ballet, as well as performers from hit Broadway musicals such as “Mean Girls” and “Hamilton”. Vice President and Executive Producer of Macy’s Susan Tercero had spoken about the importance of upholding this tradition while still making sure the event is held in a safe and cautious manner.

“It was really important, we thought, not just for Macy’s, but then when we look at the city of New York that has gone through so much and been so resilient and has come out of so many things but has also had to see a lot of events and a lot of things cancelled, we felt we had an obligation to New York,” Tercero said in an article from the Erie Times-News.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an event celebrated by many, both on television and in-person, which will not be the case for this year. Although there were many regulations and changes made due to the pandemic, the parade will still be live on air this upcoming Thanksgiving and will not look too different to how it played out in years prior. Families all throughout the U.S will still be able to celebrate and keep their traditions of viewing the parade; on television from their own homes of course.