For many Americans, it’s not Thanksgiving without watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Beginning at 8:30 a.m. in every time zone, the 2025 parade will be a star-studded affair, including some very familiar faces to Hallmark Channel fans.
On the eve of the parade, “Finding Mr. Christmas” lead judge Melissa Peterman will host NBC’s “Countdown to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.” And during the parade, fans will want to be on the lookout for other Hallmark stars, including Nikki DeLoach and Kristoffer Polaha.
Melissa Peterman Says Hosting From Macy’s Parade is a ‘Bucket List’ Item
On the night of November 25, Peterman hosts the “Countdown to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade,” which she said in a social media video earlier in the day is incredible because watching the parade is her “favorite tradition” on Thanksgiving.
“This is a dream come true,” she beamed. “This is, like, bucket list for me. I love this parade and I’ve only watched it on TV and this is very exciting.”
The actress, who also stars on NBC’s “Happy’s Place” with Reba McEntire, will give viewers an “exclusive first look at the stories behind the floats, balloons, and bands as they prepare to make their way through the streets of New York City,” the network said.
Peterman’s special will also include interviews with parade performers Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, and Jewel (who is a Hallmark veteran herself, having starred in the network’s three “Fixer Upper Mysteries”).
Nikki DeLoach & Kristoffer Polaha Will Appear on Hallmark Channel’s Thanksgiving Parade Float
HallmarkMeanwhile, DeLoach and Polaha are expected to be aboard Hallmark’s “Heartwarming Holiday Countdown” float, which has been part of the parade for the last decade.
Their “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” co-stars — and famed country artists — Drew Baldridge and Mickey Guyton will also be on hand to perform their duet “Joy to Your World,” which they performed at the Countdown to Christmas kickoff in October. Guyton will also appear on Hallmark Channel’s upcoming Christmas special on December 6.
Baldridge and Guyton were spotted in New York City rehearsing their number in the rain on November 25.
GettyHow to know when the Hallmark Channel float is arriving? Well, parade hosts Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, and Jenna Bush Hager will announce it, but you can be on the lookout for a colorful float that’s several stories tall and feaetures a 3-D Christmas calendar, with a “festive surprise behind each date,” per Macy’s.
The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins on NBC and Peacock at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones and will be rebroadcast starting at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Meanwhile, “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” will premiere on Hallmark Channel on November 29 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
