A New Yorker’s Guide To Watching The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

This November, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which originated in 1924, will continue its magical tradition of entertaining the 3.5 million spectators lining the streets of Manhattan. On November 24^th, at 9 am, the event will officially kick off the holiday season with its iconic character balloons, dazzling floats, the nation’s best marching bands, and fun celebrity appearances.

Where To Watch:

There is 2.5 miles of public viewing spots along the parade route, which starts off at 77^th Street and Central Park West (no/limited public viewing here). The procession will march to Columbus Circle, turn onto Central Park South and march down 6^th Avenue to 34^th Street. At 34^th Street, the parade will make its final turn west and end at 7^th Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square (no/limited public viewing here).

The early risers can start camping out at 6 am on the west side of Central Park West between 59^th and 75^th street. Avoid watching the parade on 6^th Avenue between 34^th and 38^th street, as this is the official broadcast area.

If you would like to book a room at a hotel with a view of the parade, you may want to check out these hotels which currently have promotions: Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Times Square, JW Marriott Essex House New York, and New York Hilton Midtown.

Grandstand tickets are not for sale to the general public. They are reserved for the family and friends of Macy’s employees and parade participants.

Tip: The area in and around Columbus circle will have great views. The shops at Columbus Circle will be open; it will be crowded so plan ahead.

The Night Before:

If you fancy watching the inflation of the iconic balloons, you may want to be in the vicinity of Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Thanksgiving Eve (November 23^rd). The public entrance to the Macy’s Parade Balloon Inflation is located at 79th Street and Columbus Avenue.

Tip: Take public transportation to get here. If you are taking the subway, take the B or C and get off at the 81^st street/Museum of Natural History station.

Parade route, Photo: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Line Up:

Joining the festivities this year are: American soul singer Aloe Blacc, Long Island hip-hop group De La Soul, Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan, and the legendary Tony Bennett. NHL legends Adam Graves and Eric Lindros, and U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists Michelle Carter and Laurie Hernandez will also be participating in the star-studded event.

In the balloon line up, there will be a new “Trolls” balloon, inspired by the characters of DreamWorks’ animated movie Trolls. Some popular giant balloon characters that are returning: Angry Bird’s Red, Hello Kitty, Paddington, and Thomas the Tank Engine.

Parade Fun Facts:

– The delightful Muppets will be kicking off the parade celebrations with a signature musical number!
– The parade will feature 16 giant character balloons, 27 novelty/ornament balloons, 26 floats, 1,100 cheerleaders and dancers, more than 1,000 clowns, and 16 marching bands and performance groups!
– The parade’s first balloon star from the 1920’s, Felix the Cat, is also making a comeback. Felix will make his way down the route as he first appeared in 1927, carried on sticks!
– A Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Stickers app is available for free from the iTunes App Store or from Google Play. Enjoy the emoji keyboard to text Thanksgiving-themed balloons and characters!

The parade will be broadcast live on NBC from 9 am – noon (all time-zones) and will be hosted by Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, and Al Roker. 50 million viewers are expected to tune in to enjoy the spectacle!

For more information on the parade, visit macys.com/parade or call the parade hotline at 212-494-4495. For the latest parade info, follow @macys on Twitter and join the conversation at #MacysParade on various social networks.

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