Thanksgiving has changed quite a bit this year, but the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade can still be seen. Despite the social distance rule due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the parade continues.

Yes, there is no need to worry that the 2020 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will be canceled. The retailer announced that the 94th annual event "has been reinvented to keep New York audiences safely at home and families across the country glued to their televisions."

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been held every year since 1924, except in 1942, 1943, and 1944 when helium and rubber were needed for World War II.

In a press release, Macy's explained the changes for the 2020 parade. Instead of following the usual 2.5-mile route, the parade will take place at Herald Square in Manhattan. Performances by Patti LaBelle, Dolly Parton, and the Radio City Rockettes will be pre-recorded. Spectators are told to stay home and watch on television instead.

The television broadcast is hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker of NBC's The Today Show.

Here's what you need to know about how to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2020.

Just because NBC isn't available everywhere doesn't mean you have to miss Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2020 if you're away from home. It's very easy to watch along with the rest of the Internet. With the right VPN (Virtual Private Network), you can stream the show from anywhere.

Not sure which VPN is right for you? After testing a variety of services, the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN. They offer great speed and excellent customer service.

In the United States, you can watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2020 on NBC on Thanksgiving Day (November 26) at 9:00 am ET for three hours.

This broadcast network can be accessed via one of the best TV antennas or a cable TV package.

If you already cut cable and don't have cable, you can watch NBC on live TV services such as Sling TV, FuboTV, Hulu With Live TV, YouTube TV, and AT&T TV Now.

Of these options, we recommend Sling and FuboTV, two of the best streaming services on the market.

Thanksgiving may be a thoroughly American holiday, but international viewers who want to watch the parade can catch a live stream on Verizon's YouTube channel.

Overseas Americans who want to use the services they already pay for can check out ExpressVPN.

Macy's announced that the parade will forgo its usual 2.5-mile route and take place around Herald Square in Manhattan, where its flagship department store is located.

In previous years, about 3.5 million people have lined the streets to watch the parade, but this year they are refraining from drawing crowds.

High school and college marching bands that were scheduled to march in 2020 will instead march in 2021. The NYPD Police Band, West Point Band, FDNY Bagpipe Band, and other local professional marching bands will take their place.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons will continue to fly, but without the dozens of handlers normally required. Instead, they will be flown by "an innovative and specially equipped anchor vehicle framework consisting of five special vehicles tested and approved by the NYPD." Additionally, the traditional Thanksgiving Eve balloon inflation event has been canceled.

This year, two new balloons, Bossy Baby and Red Titan from the popular YouTube series "Ryan's World," will debut.

Making a return appearance will be Pikachu (for the 20th consecutive year), Snoopy the Astronaut, Sponge Bob, Ronald McDonald, Smokey the Bear, and the Trolls.

The performers and stars of this year's parade are recording their appearances in advance as part of Macy's new guidelines. There will also be a special appearance by Santa Claus.

Performers in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2020 include: