Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is coming soon. Here's how Georgians can watch

Miguel Legoas and Kaleb A. Brown, Augusta Chronicle
·4 min read
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FILE - The 97th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place Nov. 23, 2023 in New York.
FILE - The 97th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place Nov. 23, 2023 in New York.

In addition to turkey meals and family time, Thanksgiving Day includes the return of one of America’s favorite holiday specials.

The 97th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will return to the streets of New York on Thursday morning. Millions of people will be in attendance, enjoying the thundering bands, gigantic balloons and spectacular floats. Tens of millions of more people will be able to watch the parade from home, carrying out a Thanksgiving tradition that has been around for generations.

Here’s a closer look at how Georgians can tune into the parade and what new attractions viewers can expect:

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When does Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade start?

The Macy’s parade runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon. This year's parade starts 30 minutes earlier than usual, meaning more parade fun to be had.

How to watch, stream the Macy's parade

For those with antenna, satellite or cable, the Macy's parade will be live broadcast on local NBC channels at 8:30 a.m. and on local CBS channels at 9 a.m. Here are some channels Georgians will want to tune into depending on where they live:

  • Athens and Atlanta : Channels 11 (NBC) and 22 (CBS).

  • Augusta: Channels 12 (CBS) and 26 (NBC).

  • Macon: Channels 13 (CBS) and 41 (NBC).

  • Savannah: Channels 3 (NBC) and 11 (CBS).

There will also be Spanish broadcasts available through Telemundo.

For those looking to stream the parade, local CBS channels are available through Paramount+ which starts at about $6 a month and there is a one-week free trial. The parade will also be streamed on Peacock, which also starts at about $6 a month with no free trial.

What new balloons will be featured in this year's Macy's parade?

FILE - Goku from "Dragon Ball" will be among the balloons to return for the 97th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 23, 2023 in New York.
FILE - Goku from "Dragon Ball" will be among the balloons to return for the 97th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 23, 2023 in New York.

Snoopy and Woodstock from the "Peanuts" franchise have a new scouts look.

The Pillsbury Doughboy has been a long-time parade participant, and will have a new balloon that's refreshed but classic.

"Cool Cats" started in 2013 as a brand of cute characters which would go on to be featured in comics, games, merchandise and other media. They are also the brand of a particular cryptocurrency. The main character is Blue Cat who, alongside his best friend Chugs, will be the parade's first balloon based on an NFT (a type of crypto).

Additional brand new characters include Po the Dragon Warrior from the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise, an elderly lizard named Leo from Netflix's upcoming animated film "Leo," Monkey D. Luffy from the anime series "One Piece," and a duck named Uncle Dan from Illumination's upcoming animated film "Migration."

What new floats will be featured in this year's Macy's parade?

New floats have been built for the following movies and TV series: "Camp Snoopy" on Apple+, "Good Burger 2" on Paramount+, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" from Paramount and Nickelodeon, and "Wonka" from Warner Bros.

There are also some new corporate floats including a nature-oriented one from Solo Stove and Brach’s "Palace of Sweets."

Who is performing in this year's Macy's parade?

As is tradition, the Macy's parade will feature a variety of exciting performers like EGOT superstar Cher, the American music group, Bell Biv DeVoe, the rockstars of Chicago, Grammy-winning artist Jon Batiste, and the cast of Sesame Street. There will also be performances from Broadway productions like such as "& Juliet" as well as "Back to the Future: The Musical."

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What Thanksgiving specials can I watch after the Macy's parade besides football?

After Santa Claus rings in the holiday season at the end of the parade, NBC viewers can stay tuned for the National Dog Show hosted by John O'Hurley and David Frei. It will also be live streamed on Peacock and re-broadcasted the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Families who want to watch "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" but don't already own a copy will only be able to do so with an Apple TV+ subscription. It starts at about $10 a month with a one-week free trial. Apple TV does not require an Apple device and can be accessed on most streaming devices.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023: How to watch, stream in Georgia