Thanksgiving in the chaotic year of 2020 will look different from the years before. With coronavirus cases on the rise in the United States, there is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen on Turkey Day. With parades and other events canceled due to the pandemic, event planners and companies are scrambling to find virtual alternatives.
However, television specials, football games and parades are still airing.
Parades:
The 94th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade will still march without its 3.5-million-person audience. It will air on NBC and Telemundo from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
The route will not march down the traditional 2.5 miles to avoid crowds. Musical acts including Dolly Parton, Pentatonix and Broadway performances from hit shows like “Hamilton,” “Mean Girls” and “Ain’t Too Proud” will take place with safety precautions. This year, the famous balloons will not be carried by participants, but instead specialized vehicles.  
NFL Football Games:
Continuing its Thanksgiving tradition after 100 years, the National Football League will still broadcast football games. Kicking off the tradition will be Houston Texans at Detroit Lions, who have hosted Thanksgiving games since 1934. This match-up will begin at 11:30 a.m. CT on CBS, yet unlike the other games airing that day, Ford Field will be without an audience.
The Dallas Cowboys, who haven’t hosted a Thanksgiving game since 1996, continue their tradition by playing The Washington Football Team at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Spectators will be limited. The game will air on Fox at 3:30 p.m. CT. 
The prime-time game, Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers, kicks off at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC. However, live coverage with Football Night in America begins at 6:00 p.m. CT. Similar the AT&T Stadium, Heinz Field will have a limited audience.
Specials:
The National Dog Show will air on NBC right after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Similar to its predecessor, the dog show will go on without any spectators. According to The Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s press release, “The competition will be limited to some 600 dogs, a decrease of 70% from the near-2000 entries usually on hand.” The broadcast has been a tradition since 2002.
Meanwhile, on ABC, Disney will air their 5th annual “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration” at 8 p.m. CT on Thanksgiving. The show will include a variety of acts from past performances, sneak peeks of Disney and Pixar’s new film, “Soul,” and a preview of a new “Ratatouille” inspired attraction at EPCOT in Florida.
Debuting 47 years ago, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” will air on PBS and PBS Kids on Sunday, November 22, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. CT.
This is the first year “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” will air on PBS instead of ABC. ABC lost rights to air the classic last year, then Apple TV+ stepped up to obtain the rights. However, fans of the classic formed a Change.org petition to bring Charlie Brown back to TV. PBS secured the rights for those who are not users of Apple TV+. The 263,000 petition signers now have something to be grateful for this year.