Thanksgiving in NYC Guide: Parade Info, Places to Eat & Things to Do

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Info 2024

The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City draws massive crowds, well over 1,000,000 people yearly. So, getting the correct info and knowing where to go can make all the difference between a positive and poor experience.

Here's what you need to know. 👇

Thanksgiving Parade Balloon Inflation Info

A truly unique experience, and a much less crowded one, is to head to the Upper West Side the day before the parade to watch the balloon inflation.

You can get a closer view of most balloons, with much fewer crowds!

The balloon inflation occurs near the Museum of Natural History on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, from 1 pm to 6 pm EST. You must enter through security at 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue.

And according to ABC, there will be six new featured character balloons this year, including Minnie Mouse, Marshall from "Paw Patrol," Extraordinary Noorah with The Elf on the Shelf, Gabby from "Gabby's Dollhouse," Goku from "Dragon Ball," and Spider-Man.

See Macy's full inflation experience information here.

Parade Route & Time

The parade starts on the Upper West Side on Central Park West, near 77th Street and Central Park West, at 8:30 am. There are 2.5 miles of public viewing space, and the jury is out on where the best spot to watch (more on that in the next section).

The parade then goes down Central Park West, turns onto Central Park South at Columbus Circle (don't try to watch near here), and then turns south at 6th Avenue.

This is the longest stretch of the parade, heading down to 34th Street, ending at Macy's Herald Square.

The parade runs from 8:30 am to noon.

Where to Watch

Let's make an important point first: if you want to be close to the front to view the parade almost anywhere along the route, you should plan on getting out on the streets around 6 or 7 am. Yes, that means you will be standing, likely in the cold, waiting for a couple of hours for the parade to start.

It's important to note that even if you aren't right along the barricades close to the street, you can still see the balloons from far back. While you likely won't see all the floats and participants, you can see the balloons high above the streets.

While anywhere is going to be crowded, here are some of the best spots to watch the parade:

Central Park West

Most people, especially tourists, want to be along 6th Avenue and closer to Macy's, so the Upper West Side is usually less crowded. If you can make your way into Central Park and watch from that side of the street, that's best!

If you go near the starting point, 77th Street, you can also hear them announce each individual floats as they start down the parade route.

Just know that you must enter Central Park from the East side of the park and walk across OR from well above the parade route. Previously, when I was trying to get my dogs into Central Park on Thanksgiving morning, I had to go all the way up to roughly 86th Street before I could get in.

Even watching from within the park, there will be crowds. But many would argue this is the best and least crowded spot to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade!

57th Street & 6th Avenue

The reason we like 57th Street is because it is a two-way street much wider than most oth