The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Is Going Virtual Somehow

Photo: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

Here’s that sign you’ve been looking for to cancel those end-of-year plans. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be the latest event to go virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio said during his daily coronavirus press briefing. “They’re reinventing the event for this moment in history, and you’ll be able to feel the spirit and the joy of that day on television online,” he said. “Not a live parade but something that will really give us that warmth and that great feeling we have on Thanksgiving Day.” Good news for fans of lip-synced performances and C-list celebrities. In late August, Macy’s announced on its website that the parade would take place. The store plans to model the event after its July 4 fireworks display, which took place in chunks across New York’s five boroughs. At the time, de Blasio said the event could include “some small in-person pieces, spread-out pieces.”

Update, September 15: A Macy’s spokesperson told CBS the televised parade would take place around New York’s Herald Square — where the parade usually ends, by the flagship Macy’s location. Abandoning the traditional route is part of the parade’s attempt to “avoid gathering millions of spectators in person,” the spokesperson said, for the TV-only event. Most of it would be live, but some aspects would be prerecorded, to help social distancing. A release clarified that events would take place over two days, according to CBS, with 75% fewer participants than usual. Participants will wear face masks and must be at least 18 years old, meaning high school marching bands won’t be able to perform and will be replaced by local professional groups. In the release, parade executive producer Susan Tercero said, “While it will certainly look different in execution, this year’s Macy’s Parade celebration will once again serve its historical purpose — to bring joy into the hearts of millions across the nation.”