The 94th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2020)

The 93rd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2019)

The 94th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2020)

The 95th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2021)

The 94th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The poster for the 2020 Parade shows the event shifting to a television-only experience while maintaining the spectacle and wonder of this cherished tradition.
Date	November 26, 2020
Parade #	94
New Giant Balloons	Red Titan from Ryan's World by Sunlight Entertainment and pocket.watch The Boss Baby by DreamWorks Animation and Universal Studios
New Floats	Big Turkey Spectacular by Jennie-O Tom & Jerry's Tourist Trap by Warner Bros. Pictures Her Future Is STEM-Sational by Olay Christmas in Town Square by Lifetime

The 94^th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade aired on NBC on November 26, 2020 from 9 a.m. to noon EST. It was hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker. The event is notable for taking place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the Parade's workforce being reduced by 88% and the event itself being filmed over the course of three days.

Parade Lineup

Listed below are the Parade elements that appeared in the 2020 line of march. Each element is listed in their respective categories/sub-categories, with sponsors in bold.

Bold indicates a new Parade element, an underline indicates an element that was brought back after an absence, and * indicates an element retired after the 2020 procession.

Balloons

Giant Balloons

• Red Titan from Ryan's World (Sunlight Entertainment and pocket.watch) - 1st time
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Abrams Children's Books) - 5th time
• Chase from PAW Patrol (Spin Master and Nickelodeon) - 4th time
• SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary (Nickelodeon) - 2nd time
• Trolls* (DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures) - 5th time
• Ronald McDonald* (McDonald's) - 6th time
• Pikachu* (The Pokémon Company International) - 7th time
• Astronaut Snoopy (Peanuts Worldwide) - 2nd time
• The Boss Baby (DreamWorks Animation and Universal Studios) - 1st time
• DINO (Sinclair Oil Corporation) - 6th time
• Pillsbury Doughboy (Pillsbury) - 7th time
• The Elf on the Shelf* (The Lumistella Company) - 9th time

Novelty Balloons

• Opening Macy's Star (Macy's) - 3rd time
• Love Flies Up to the Sky* (Yayoi Kusama) - 2nd time
• Smokey Bear (U.S.D.A. Forest Service) - 2nd time
• The Nutcracker* (Universal Orlando Resort) - 3rd time
• Hugg, Bjorn, Jojo and Fleck* (Netflix's The Christmas Chronicles 2) - 2nd time
• "Believe" Star (Macy's) - 5th time

Balloonicles

• Go Bowling (Go Bowling) - 3rd time
• Baby DINOs (Sinclair Oil Corporation) - 3rd time

Floats

• Tom Turkey (Macy's) - 3rd time
• Big Turkey Spectacular (Jennie-O) - 1st time
• Blue's Clues & You! (Nickelodeon) - 2nd time
• Splashing Safari Adventure* (Kalahari Resorts and Conventions) - 3rd time
• Everyone's Favorite Bake Shop (Entenmann's) - 4th time
• Tom & Jerry's Tourist Trap* (Warner Bros. Pictures) - 1st time
• Rexy in the City (COACH) - 2nd time
• Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* (Nickelodeon) - 3rd time
• Her Future Is STEM-Sational (Olay) - 1st time
• Toy House of Marvelous Milestones (New York Life) - 2nd time
• Harvest in the Valley (Green Giant) - 4th time
• Mount Rushmore's American Pride (South Dakota Department of Tourism) - 11th time
• The Brick-Changer (The LEGO Group) - 2nd time
• Christmas in Town Square (Lifetime) - 1st time
• Central Park* (Delta Air Lines) - 11th time
• Heartwarming Holiday Countdown (Hallmark Channel) - 6th time
• Santa's Sleigh (Macy's) - 12th time

Specialty Units

• NYPD Motorcycles - 36th time
• ”Give. Love. Believe.” Banner* (Macy’s) - 1st time
• Cruising Cupcakes* (Macy's) - 1st time
• Big Red Shoe Car (McDonald's) - 21st time

Toy Floats

• Rocking Giraffe (Macy's) - 10th time
• Rocking Flamingo* (Macy's) - 4th time
• Rocking Lobster (Macy's) - 31st time
• Rocking Moose (Macy's) - 5th time
• Rocking Horse (Macy's) - 61st time

Marching Bands

• West Point Band, performed "The Hellcats," "This is My Country," and "The Army Goes Rolling Along"
• NYPD Marching Band, performed "God Bless America"
• FDNY Emerald Society Pipes & Drums, performed "America the Beautiful"
• Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Marching Band, performed "Dancing Queen"

Guest Stars

• Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, sang "Dancing in the Streets"
• America's Frontline Workers (Tom Turkey)
• Bebe Rexha, sang "Baby, I'm Jealous" (Big Turkey Spectacular)
• Ally Brooke, sang "We Are a Family" (Blue's Clues & You!)
• AJR, sang "Bang!" (Splashing Safari Adventure)
• Sofia Carson, sang "Guess I'm a Liar" (Everyone's Favorite Bake Shop)
• Keke Palmer, sang "Dreamcatcher" (Rexy in the City)
• Ronald McDonald and Grimace (Big Red Shoe Car)
• Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier
• CNCO, sang "Tan Enamorados" (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Karol G, sang "Ay, DiOs Mío!" and "Tusa" (Her Future Is STEM-Sational)
• Darlene Love, sang "A Marshmallow World" (Toy House of Marvelous Milestones)
• Brett Young, sang "Here Tonight" (Harvest in the Valley)
• Lauren Alaina, sang "Run" (Mount Rushmore's American Pride)
• Patti LaBelle, sang "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
• Goo Goo Dolls, sang "This is Christmas" (The Brick-Changer)
• Dolly Parton, sang "Holly Jolly Christmas"
• Tori Kelly, sang "25th" (Christmas in Town Square)
• Matthew Morrison and the Cast of Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical Live!, performed "Who Loves Christmas?"
• New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Ashley Bouder, performed "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" (Central Park)
• Pentatonix, sang "My Favorite Things" (Heartwarming Holiday Countdown)
• Macy's Singing Christmas Tree Choir, sang "We Believe"
• Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus (Santa's Sleigh)

Special Characters

• Macy's Starlets
• Turkey Tech Gobbler
• Pirate (Rocking Lobster)
• Raph, Leo, Donnie and Mikey (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Lumberjack (Rocking Moose)
• Poinsettias
• Penguins
• Jingle Bells

Performance Groups

• Zeta Phi Beta Centennial Steppers, performed "100 Yearz of Finer"
• Coney Island USA's Mermaid Parade
• Indigenous Ambassadors, presented a Land Acknowledgement
• West Indian American Day Carnival Association, performed "CaribFuturism: LOVE. CULTURE. PEOPLE"
• Pikachu Dance Performance, performed "Gotta Catch 'Em All"
• Danza Fiesta, performed "La Bamba"
• Big Apple Circus, performed "Meet Me at the Circus"
• The Radio City Rockettes, performed "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers"

Clowns

• Corny-Copia Clowns - 16th time
• Turkey Tech Players & Sports Fans - 10th time
• Funny Flurry Clowns - 2nd time
• Half-Baked Holiday Sweets - 13th time
• City Tourist Clowns - 6th time
• Toy Blocks* - 4th time
• Nutty-Cracker Ballet Clowns - 10th time

Stilt Walkers

• Statue of Liberty - 3rd time
• Chrysler Building & Empire State Building* - 3rd time
• Entenmann’s Bakers - 4th time
• Lumberjacks - 1st time
• Toy Soldiers - 13th time
• Candy Canes - 10th time
• Candy Girl* - 1st time
• Goldie Guard* - 2nd time
• Snowflakes - 6th time
• Christmas Trees* - 6th time
• Candy Puppets* - 2nd time

Broadway Musicals

• Hamilton, performed "The Schuyler Sisters"
• Jagged Little Pill, performed "You Learn"
• Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations, performed "My Girl" and "Get Ready"
• Mean Girls: The Musical, performed "Somebody Gets Hurt"

Changes

Main article: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2020 Changes and Filming

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade underwent several modifications in order to ensure safety for participants. Listed below are several changes that were implemented for the 2020 Parade.

• The traditional 2.5-mile Parade route was not utilized, with the only way to view the celebration being on television.
• All participants, staff and performers were tested for COVID-19 and underwent wellness checks prior to their Parade participation.
• All participants were appropriately socially distanced during staging and performances, and required to wear face coverings; additional personal protective protocols were implemented based on the participant’s role.
• The overall number of participants were reduced by approximately 88%, and split over three days.
• No participant in the Parade was under 18 years of age.
• The majority of Parade participants hailed from the New York tri-state area.
• Previously selected regional High School and College Marching Band performances were deferred to the 2021 Macy's Parade, with locally based cultural and professional marching and musical ensembles taking over performance duties in the lineup.
• A selection of balloons (with the exception of an Opening Macy's Star, Red Titan, The Boss Baby, Love Flies Up to the Sky and a Red "Believe" Star) were showcased on television from previous Parade appearances.
• A selection of Macy's signature giant character balloons were flown without the traditional 80-100 handlers and instead employ an innovative, specially rigged anchor vehicle framework of five specialty vehicles tested and approved by the NYC Department of Transportation and the NYPD.
• Macy's traditional Giant Balloon Inflation public event in New York City, the evening before Thanksgiving, did not take place.
• 60 members of the Macy's Singing Christmas Tree Choir were invited back to virtually perform an original Christmas carol, composed by Judith Clurman.

In the weeks leading up to the Parade, several elements were also pulled from the lineup in order to further reduce the amount of participants, following rising cases of COVID-19 throughout the New York area. The elements cut included:

• Novelty Balloons: Acorn, Americana Spheres, Arrtle the Pirate, Blue & White Macy's Stars, Red & Green Candy Cane, Harold the Fireman, Macy's Pride Stars, Opening Macy's Stars #1 and #2, Poinsettia Ornaments, Pumpkins, Santa Starflakes, Snow Crystal Ornaments and Wiggle Worm.

• Floats: 1-2-3 Sesame Street by Sesame Workshop, Cornucopia by Macy's, Deck the Halls by Balsam Hill, Fantasy Chocolate Factory by Kinder, Patriotic Top Hat by Macy's, Rocking Lion, Rocking Tortoise, Snoopy's Doghouse by Peanuts Worldwide, and Winning Winter Together by MassMutual/NHL.

• Performers: Sebastián Yatra (The Brick-Changer), Ella Mai (Fantasy Chocolate Factory), Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus (Winning Winter Together), Jordin Sparks (Splashing Safari Adventure), and Leslie Odom Jr. (Toy House of Marvelous Milestones).

• Clown Units: Aviator Clowns, Birthday Party Clowns, Breakfast Clowns, Circus Clowns, Fire Truck Clown Vehicle, Funny Farm Clowns, Hoedown Clowns, Funny Firefighter Brigade Clowns, Half-Baked Delivery Truck, Holiday Clowns, Jester Clowns, Nutty Professor Einsteins & Wacky Graduates, Parade Brigade Clowns, Pirate Clowns, Produce Wagon, Safari Clowns, Santa's Toy Box Clowns, Silly Seaside Clowns & Sea Creatures, Sleepy Clowns, Springtime Clowns, Taxi Cab of Clowns, Wedding Bell-Y Laffs Limo Service Clowns, and Wintertime Clowns.

Trivia

• Celebrities featured in the "Thanksgiving Messages" segments of the NBC telecast included Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman (Making It), Ben Feldman (Superstore), Chrissy Metz (This Is Us), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), tWitch and Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen's Game of Games), Blake Shelton (The Voice), Harry Lennix (The Blacklist), Eric Marstolf (Days of Our Lives), Lil Rel Howry (Small Fortune), Big Bird, Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Rosita, and Grover (Sesame Street), Noah Lyles (two-time world champion in track and field), David Boudia (four time Olympic Gold Medalist in diving), Allyson Felix (nine time Olympic Gold Medalist in track and field), Tatyana McFadden (17 time Paralympic Gold Medalist in track and field), Simone Biles (four time Olympic Gold Medalist in gymnastics), John Legend (The Voice), Jane Lynch (Weakest Link), Lester Holt (Nightly News), Nick Jonas (The Voice), Deidre Hall (Days of Our Lives), Kelly Clarkson (The Voice), Jesse Lee Soffer (Chicago P.D.), Taylor Kinney (Chicago Fire), Christian Stolte (Chicago Fire), Patrick Flueger (Chicago P.D.), Nick Gehlfuss (Chicago Med), Amy Morton (Chicago P.D.), Jason Beghe (Chicago P.D.), Alberto Rosende (Chicago Fire), LaRoyce Hawkins (Chicago Fire), Alex Newell (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist), Mary Steenburgen (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist), Jane Levy (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist), and Michael Thomas Grant (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist).

NBC Credits

• Executive Producer: Brad Lachman
• Co-Executive Producer: Bill Bracken
• Directed by: Ron de Moraes
• Written by: Max Lachman and Brad Lachman
• Musical Director: Ray Chew
• Coordinating Producer: Carmela Tripodi
• Producer: Matt Lachman
• Talent Producers: JB Talent
• Production Supervisor: Nicole Gauthier
• Art Director: Ed Helbig
• Script Supervisors: Tori Rose and Brittany Thompson
• Line Producer: Adam Wald
• Senior Technical Manager: Mike Matthews
• Technical Manager: Joe Caffrey
• Senior Production Manager: Cate Cetta
• Production Managers: Dylan Van Arsdale and Ben Davies
• Production Manager (EHS): Madison Marolda
• Music Manager: Jaynell Grayson
• Music Production: Al Theurer
• Assistant to the Executive Producer: Kathryn Bracken
• Segment Director: Brad Lachman
• Associate Directors: Robin Mishkin Abrams, Bill Bracken, John Coleman, Casey B. Davis, Christopher Gray, Kate Hollanda, and Susan Kramer
• Stage Managers: Smith Sumroy, Dave Auerbach, and Chris Kelly
• Production Coordinators: Matthew Fodera and Corin Pankow
• Music Coordinator: Scott Siegel
• Production Assistants: Emily Conklin, Chet Craft, Kristen Egan, Dominick Famularo, Gema Interiano, Danielle McKernan, Julia Mewborne, Jason Monto, Tori Pierce, Dabney Rauh, Erika Simmons, and Michael Valentino
• Technical Director: Brad Gersten
• Lighting Director: Geoff Amoral
• Announcer: Les Marshak
• Backtimer: Molly Gray
• Post Production Supervisor: David Emanuele
• Editors: Colin Dow and Noah Rosenstein
• Senior Audio: Jorge Silva and Chris Acker
• Audio: Greg Acker, John Ariz, Jay Carrie, Nils de Korte, Frank Duca, John Peter Erskine, Will Finan, Josh Flower, Bob Selitto, Jim Tomlinson, Jim Van Bergen, and Shawn Walsh
• Graphic Design: Chris Callahan and Mark Perricone
• XPression: Layne Dorenstein
• Senior Video: Oliver Bosili
• Video: Chris Halloran
• Video Playback: Mark Katz and Kevin Hamel
• Video Record: Allan Buchner
• Promotional Consideration Provided by: Verizon
• Parade Archival Footage: University of South Carolina MIRC
• Special Thanks: Mayor's Office of City Wide Events, NYCDOT, NYPD, Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment, Macy's Parade Families and Dedicated Volunteers

For Macy's

• Executive Producer: Susan Tercero
• Creative Producer: Wesley Whatley
• Parade Producer: Jordan Dabby
• Line Producer: Chris Bannon
• Creative Director: Rick Pomer
• Parade Production Directors: Lenny Drenski and Carolynn Kolinsky
• Publicity: Orlando Veras, Christine Olver Nealon, and Bridget Betances
• Associate Producers: Carolyn Dellisanti, Sara Flores, and Kathleen Wright
• Costume Director: Kimberly Montgomery
• Administration: Camile Davis
• Production Managers: Krystin Arrabito, Katherine Christakos, Jenna Geniale, Brett Gearity, Tanner Glaves, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Charles Hoppe, Eric Hudspeth, Matt Kaprielian, Paul Lopacinski, Madeline Magardician, Nicole Roberts, and Evelyn Tam
• Parade Studio: Joseph Ammons, Gerard Angelella, Christian Bracco, Cameron Carnivale, John Cheney, Geoffrey Donnelly, Brian Drew, Jesse Haack, Tina Pfefferkorn, Dennis Salerno, Thomas Schnackenberg, Loryn Sotsky, Cory Stallworth, Gregory Thompson, Sean Tulner, and Cory Watson
• Production Coordinators: Jackie Filer, Justin Gaither, Darlene Peaco, Mackenzie Schroeder, Matthew Taft, and Erin Stief
• Production Assistants: Marty Galak, Hamila Henderson, Kat Klein, Lauren Rossi, Bill Barton, Garrett Bazzle, Claire Beck, Rudy Botelho, Rebecca Christian, William Cooney, Nerissa Diaz, Gina Gilligan, Bob Greiser, Matt Guarino, Alexander Kanderis, Katherine Miller, Ryan Miller, Noelle Rasco, Jeffrey Reid, Stacy Smitheginton, and Beatrice Sniper

See also

• The 94th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade/Gallery
• The 94th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Marching Order
• Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2020 - Changes and Filming