Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: NY event kicks off without spectators for first time in 94 years due to Covid

The pandemic means that there will be no in-person attendance of the 94th annual event. The event will be geared to a TV audience versus the huge crowds which typically line the 2.5-mile route through the heart of Manhattan. 

The parade airs on NBC on 26 November from 9am EST to 12pm EST. People can watch on NBC or livestream the event on YouTube.com/Verizon and Verizon’s Twitter account.

The event will take place on one block around Herald Square where the Macy’s flagship department store is located. Organisers implored pedestrians not to congregate in an effort to avoid large crowds.

The number of participants involved in the parade was also scaled back by 88 per cent, Variety reports.

While the parade might be scaled back, it still promised hours of musical performances, parade floats, and Santa Claus ending the show.

Musical appearances include performances by Patti LaBelle, Keke Palmer, Dolly Parton, Jordin Sparks, Pentatonix, Bebe Rexha and the Radio City Rockettes. The Roots and Jimmy Fallon will open the show. 

New York City’s theatre scene will also make multiple appearances, like in past years, in pre-taped moments that include the casts of Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, Hamilton, Jagged Little Pill, and Mean Girls

A balloon depicting Red Titan, a character from Ryan’s World, is seen of ahead of the 94th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

(REUTERS)

These performances come at a time when Broadway shows have been postponed until at least May 2021 due to the pandemic.

The parade also features augmented reality (AR) versions of some balloons that featured in the first Thanksgiving Day parades in the 1920s.

Executive producer Susan Tercero told Variety that organisers found a way to “balance” both pre-tapped and live performances for the broadcast.

“We will still be doing it live because there is some magic in that,” she said. “I think that people are missing live entertainment, one of those things where you never know what’s going to happen. And people will want to tune in to see how we put it all together.”

One performance change in the line-up is that all high school and college bands initially invited to perform during the parade will not be allowed this year. They were instead invited to perform in the 2021 parade.

The NYPD Police Band, the West Point Band, and the FDNY bagpipe band are among the professional bands scheduled to perform instead.

Performers from other major New York City parades that had to be canceled due to the coronavirus made appearances at the parade as well. The New York City Fire Department’s Emerald Band – known for participating in the city’s St Patrick’s Day parade – joined the Thanksgiving Day parade in a pre-recorded segment. 

Performers from the West Indian Day parade, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, NYC Pride, and Coney Island USA Mermaid parades were invited to join the festivities as well. 

Participants gather ahead of the 94th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

(REUTERS)

The 94th parade comes after months of the city cancelling other events. It was decided the upcoming parade would include performances originally planned for the other cancelled parades as well.

Jimmy Fallon and the Roots will open the show, while Santa Claus will again close out the parade, like he does every year.

NBC Today’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker – who recently returned to work after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer – will lead the three-hour telecast on Thursday.

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