Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: How to Watch, What Time and What Channel

The 93rd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is this Thursday, and if you’re not ready to brace the bitter cold that’s set to sweep through New York City on Thanksgiving Day 2019, there are plenty of ways for you to enjoy the annual fare from the comfort of your own home. As in years past, the parade, kicking off at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 28, will be available to watch in real time in a variety of ways.

Set to run from 9 a.m. to noon ET, both CBS and NBC will be broadcasting the parade live, both on their regular channels (check your local listings) and by way of all streaming services that offer the channels as part of their bundles. That means that cord-cutters who have CBS All Access, Hulu+ Live TV, YouTube TV, fuboTV and Sling TV will still be able to tune in. All of those options also offer free trials, meaning you don’t have to commit to a monthly subscription.

NBC will also stream the parade on its website and mobile app.

According to the New York Post, Verizon has also partnered with Macy’s to stream the parade through YouTube via 360-degree cameras, allowing viewers to feel that they are in the mix in one of the public viewing areas set up along the parade route, which will begin at 77th Street and Central Park West in Manhattan and ends at Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square.

Those tuning in will be given quite the treat, as this year’s parade is set to include 16 giant character balloons, 40 novelty balloons (which include balloons attached to floats and tricycles), 26 floats, 1,200 cheerleaders and dancers, more than 1,000 clowns, and 11 marching bands, according to Conde Nast Traveler.

Five new balloons will also be unveiled this year – “Blue’s Clues & You!” by Nickelodeon, “The Brick-Changer” by the Lego Group, “Home Sweet Home” by Cracker Barrel, “Rexy in the City” by COACH®, and “Toy House of Marvelous Milestones” by New York Life. Meanwhile, new balloons and inflatables include “Astronaut Snoopy” by Peanuts, “Green Eggs and Ham” by Netflix, “SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary” by Nickelodeon, and “Love Flies Up to the Sky.”

Sadly, some of the high-flying cartoon characters and other balloons may be grounded this year as weather conditions on Thursday could bring winds in the 18-21 mph range, with gusts reaching 38-40 mph. According to a local ruling, balloons cannot fly if sustained wind speeds are in excess of 23 mph or wind gusts exceed 34 mph.

Still, there will be plenty more to keep viewers entertained even if the balloons are grounded. Along with floats and marching bands, the parade will also feature celebrity appearances and performances from Celine Dion, Black Eyed Peas, Billy Porter, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Idina Menzel, characters from Sesame Street, and even Santa Claus!