The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the quintessential kick-off to the holiday season in New York City. Now in its 89th year, this holiday parade is promising to be yet another memory maker for the entire family with its famous giant balloons, one-of-a-kind floats, clowns, marching bands and performances from stars like Mariah Carey, Jordan Sparks, Daughtry, Sofia Carson and Dove Cameron, as well as a special performance from the cast of the Broadway musical School of Rock, and much, much more! With 3.5 million people expected to attend this year’s parade, you’ll want to check our guide and create a game plan before you head out the door.
Related: Thanksgiving To-Go: 5 Best Restaurants & Delivery Services In NYC
1010 WINS is the Official radio station of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Can’t be there to watch? Listen live!
Getting There
Revelers take photos with crowd members during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
Parking in Manhattan is always tight, but on Thanksgiving Day it’s nearly impossible. From Westchester & Connecticut, your best bet is taking a Metro-North train to Grand Central Station. It’s an easy walk west from Grand Central to the parade route on Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street. From Long Island, take the LIRR to Penn Station. From the Seventh Avenue exit, you can walk east one block to the end of the parade route at Macy’s Herald Square, but we highly suggest heading north first for better viewing spots between 38th and 59th streets on Sixth Avenue. If you must drive, consider coming in to the city around 6 a.m. in order to get a spot in nearby lots on the Upper West Side or near Lincoln Center where garages abound.
Other Thanksgiving Day travel tips:
Metro-North & LIRR
Icon Parking
Bridges and Road Closures
Official Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Web Site
The Parade Route
A marching band participates in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
The parade kicks off Thursday at 9 a.m. from 77th Street and Central Park West. The revelry then heads south down Central Park West to Columbus Circle, before making a left and heading east on Central Park South. The parade then makes a right turn and heads south on Sixth Avenue for the main stretch of the route before making its final turn west onto 34th Street, where it stops outside Macy’s Herald Square.
For a map of the parade route, click here.
Where to Watch
(Photo by Andrew Kelly/Getty Images)
Plan to arrive at 6 a.m. to get a prime viewing spot, especially if you want to be near the start of the parade between 75th and 59th streets. Typically, the parade marches through Central Park West between 9 and 10:30 a.m. While many choose to watch from Central Park West, that also tends to be the windiest and shadiest part of the route. Instead head to Sixth Avenue between 59th and 38th streets. The sidewalks are wider and less-crowded there. You’re more likely to find food in delis and nearby coffee shops in this area. Plus, you can arrive a little bit later since the parade doesn’t hit Sixth Avenue until around 9:30 a.m.
Notes:
- Avoid Sixth Avenue between 38th and 34th streets and Macy’s Herald Square. Due to the national TV broadcast, parade organizers severely limit public viewing in those areas.
- If you have a spectator with special needs, please call Healing Arts Initiative (formerly known as Hospital Audiences, Inc.) at 212-284-4100 or email them at outreach@hainyc.org for details on viewing area options.
- Grandstand tickets are not for sale to the general public.
Tips, Tricks And Things To Remember
The Spongebob Squarepants balloon hovers above the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route on Nov. 27, 2014. (credit: Marla Diamond/WCBS 880)
Coming with little kids? Here are some other things to keep in mind:
Bathrooms are scarce. Hotels around the route are your best bet as well as at The Time Warner Center.
Leave the stroller at home, or plan on bringing one that folds easily and can be carried. Trying to get through the crowds with a stroller can be impossible — not to mention scary for your kid. Instead think light and easy to carry for your child and the stroller.
Pack snacks! While delis and convenience stores are usually open along the route, standing in the same place for a few hours waiting for the parade to start can feel like an eternity for little kids. Avoid meltdowns by supplying your own treats.
Dress warm and in layers. Even if it’s milder than usual on Turkey Day, standing outside for six hours can get pretty cold. Hats and gloves will keep you and your parade watching family happy and warm.
The Night Before
Sightseers photograph giant balloons the evening before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 27, 2013. (credit: Getty Images)
What started out as an event that only locals knew about, the pre-Thanksgiving balloon inflation has turned into its own must-see Thanksgiving event. See Snoopy, Hello Kitty, Spongebob Squarepants, and all the other gigantic Macy’s parade balloons come to life between 3 and 10 p.m. in the areas surrounding the Museum of Natural History beginning at 79th Street and Columbus Avenue.
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