NEW YORK,N.Y.(SMI-ENTERTAINMENT,11.12.20)- The iconic and world's largest parade known  as " The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, "  will host its 94th annual edition on November 26, in New York City;  celebrating  the American national holiday " ThanksGiving" with some significant changes  from previous years due to the global coronavirus pandemic that  has claimed many lives in the US  and around the world.

 

Thanksgiving is an  American tradition national holiday that takes place on the fourth Thursday in November every year, a celebration on being thankful and grateful for the blessing of the year including the harvest. This holiday is known for being a family celebration in private and it's also celebrated in public with large crowd attending the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the Big Apple.

 

The renowned American department chain store and organizers of the parade " Macys";  in conjuction with the  NBC network who will air the parade on november 26, held a streaming virtual press junket event yesterday November 11, at noon on Veteran's Day -where Starlight Illustrated participated as a press member with a panel that included Susan Tercero ( Executive Producer of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade), Hoda Hotb( Co-Anchor NBC's Today) &  Miss America 2020, Camille Schrier where some important details and changes were shared of the upcoming 2020 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

 

Find below some of their comments shared during the press-junket:

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Press Question: What do you think of Macy's working under this pandemic 

and still be able to bring the nation most traditional holiday event in Thanksgiving's morning ?   

Susan Tercero: On behalf of Macy's We are so excited to be able to do what we always do. We really focus on trying to deliver a gift to New Yorkers and to the whole country on Thanksgiving morning. And that's what we are doing again this year. I know from our perspective that's what we wanted to do  from the very beginning. And We would be able to do that and deliver the parade safely through the comfort of television on your home was certainly something was a priority for us.

 

Camille Schrier (Miss America): I think from my perspective one of the thing that I think of this parade is an American tradition just like Miss America is and seem as adapt in a way that is allowing it to continue but in a modifying and safest fashion .I think is a testament to the adaptibility of Macy's and resilience of New Yorkers.

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Hoda Kotb (Co-Anchor NBC's Today) :I totally think you are right and i mean because New York is coming back. You can actually see it happening. We have to have the Macy's Day Parade and I remember the Mayor (Bill De Blasio) saying it's a virtual parade but it's actually not a virtual parade  it will be a live parade . we are doing the Macy's Day Parade and I feel like you have to have it on the background while you are making your gravy. What will we be doing without it going. We are just good company. I feel like everybody going  about their business  and look what we are doing. And look it that and I feel like Thanksgiving aint's Thankgiving without the Macy's Day Parade and I'm so happy that we are doing it.

 

Press Question: What will be the restrictions to the upcoming 2020-94th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ?

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Susan Tercero: This parade is typically plan 18 months in advance and with the pandemic and the lockdown, we've had to create a lot different guidelines for ourselves and follow what we really expecting to experience in November.We did few things that were really mindful of the safety not only of our  participants but  for New Yorkers.

 

We took-off the marching bands that normally were going to be coming from all over the country and we said we are going to differ that participation till 2021. And that meant we are looking into New Yorkers through some cancelled parade that happened throughout the year and bring some of those performer so we can to still celebrate New York  but do it within our own community.

 

We also looked up participants under the age of 18, and said we want to keep our children safe so we really don't want bring them as well.

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We took at look at our large ballons that tipically have anywhere from 90 to 100's halers underneath them .We said let's do something different. Let's try to configure this in such way we are bring those ballons down the street safetly and utilyse different type of utilities vehicles in order to bring those down the street and  greatly reduced  amount people underneath.

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We also tooked up the overall participation numbers and we reduced all those by about 75%.

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We also took at look at the parade how it gets broadcast because the main focus  for us was to insure  that we can still deliver  a very safe broadcast for everybody at home.But we decided to do that by eliminating the live parade the New Yorkers normally gets to experience. So all New York City won't be able to particpate in the live moment because we can't have 3 millions viewers standing in close quaters along the parade by watching this event, but they can do safely from their home  so that was really our focus  how do we do that  and some  of that is going to involve  us through the magic of televison  when we piece it together  and still delivering what everybody expect to see live on Thanksgiving morning. 

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Press: For People that will be watching on TV from home. How different the TV production will look like from previous years ?

 

Susan Tercero:I think a lot people that dont live on New York are very familiar with the broadcast and with certain pieces of it  and that's why we are  really trying to continue to live on it. What you won't see is the crowd that sit and watch. The parade kicking off from uptown but you will see the Broadway shows, the Rockettes, the floats, the ballons, Santa and all those things still going to happen at Thanksgiving's morning. It might feel a little bit different  because some of those pieces are going to be sparse  throughout the three hours. You'll be able to see Broadway  for the entire first hour as the parade is making its way down through 34th street.This year  the parade will begin at 34th street and We are going to have moments throughout the broadcast where we'll see some floats, some Broadway shows and then we'll see some performances and then see different elements in between at the moment happening live. 

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Hoda Kotb (Co-Anchor NBC's Today):We can't wait. We are going to be on our spot, where we always  are on Macy's on 34th street. It's going to be different you are not going to have all the crowd  but for most people watching from home you are going to see what you normally see; which is wow look at the float  or it's that Patti Labelle singing. Like You are still going to be sseing this thing and we are excited that Jimmy Fallon will be there too. We need little Jimmy to kick this thing-off. I feel like when you are watching from home it's going to be, you are going to have it on and you are going to enjoy it as much you would had enjoyed in years past. We are going to bring our energy and make-up for the crowd. We  (Hoda & Savanah)  are going to be on it and make sure that it feels just like it always had.

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The 94th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air on NBC on Thursday, November 26 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST.