Two new apps let you enjoy the magic of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade whenever you want

This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of Macy’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.Thanksgiving was always a busy holiday for us growing up with so much family to see and so far to drive, so I never got to experience a lazy Thanksgiving morning as a child. It wasn’t until I was a teen that my husband {then my boyfriend} insisted that I sit and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with him. I was expecting something like the local parades with a few marching bands, some done up parade floats, and lots of parade waving from people I had no idea who they were.

But, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade just blew me away. With tons of giant character balloons, elaborate floats, the nation’s best marching bands and performance groups, celebrities and favorite television personalities, and, of course, the official entrance of the one-and-only Santa Claus.

From that year on, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade became our annual tradition and we would watch it every year – sometimes live and other times after we got home from running around to see our families.

I’m happy that now the tradition continues with my kids. They look forward to the parade as soon as anyone even casually mentions Thanksgiving and they ask about it daily until Turkey Day finally arrives. The day of, our family tradition always starts with snuggles in our bed as we watch the first part of the parade, and by the middle we’re dancing like the Rockettes in the middle of the living room.

But, this year I have something to help us pass the time while we wait for the big day: two new apps from Macy’s that make the parade experience even more fun. In addition to making parade day even more exciting, the apps also are a great way to get the kids thinking about the deep history of the parade for days leading up to the event. This November celebrates 90 years that Macy’s has been kicking-off the holidays season with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® that will march down the streets of New York City and be broadcast nationwide. More than 3.5 million spectators are anticipated to line the streets of Manhattan and more than 50 million viewers are expected to join in to watch the parade at home, and our family is one of those.

The new Macy’s Time Traveler App and set of emojis can help celebrate the 90th anniversary of one of the nation’s greatest traditions. The awesome thing about the app is that you can enjoy it at home as you get excited for the parade, or you can add more fun to the app by using it when you’re out shopping at your local Macy’s store. When in store, app users can find and capture balloons in their Macy’s stores using virtual reality and then use those balloons make a customized parade of their own to enjoy on their smartphones. As you can see, my littlest one never misses a parade, even if it's just in her living room. The app also lets you learn about the 90 year history of the Macy’s Parade by viewing what the parade through Herald Square looked like in previous decades. This fully rendered, 3D virtual reality environment will allow users to enjoy the fun of the parade in the 30s, 60s, or 80s, as well as seeing the buildings of Herald Square change throughout the decades.

You can also take a vintage selfie of yourself to post on social media as you share your parade excitement.Want even more turkey day fun? Macy’s has provided a fun way to communicate with your friends and family whether they’re near or far with their new Macy’s emojis app. You can choose between some adorable emojis to help express your festive spirit with friends and family near and far and get in a holiday mood. Excited for some turkey? There’s an emoji for that. Ready to see your favorite characters as floats? Express it with emojis! Both of these fun apps are free, and a really fun way to make the most of family time this week as you get excited for the approaching holidays. You can download them through iTunes or Google Play by searching the stores, or you can click the links below to download.

You can download the Time Traveler Parade App on Google Play and iOS,  and the parade stickers Emoji app on Google Play and iOs. Get them now and enjoy the parade fun whenever you want!