Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
4.5
About
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is about as American as apple pie, and has become a Thanksgiving Day tradition for millions since 1924. The parade runs up Central Park West and 6th Ave in New York City, and features an impressive display of floats, marching bands, musical acts and iconic oversized balloons of famed pop culture characters like Snoopy, Kermit and Bugs Bunny. Other notable moments include performances from original Broadway casts and an impressive lineup of high school marching bands from around the country. All of the sights, sounds and glamour of New York City in one holiday extravaganza.
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The area
Neighbourhood: Tenderloin
How to get there
- 59th St – Columbus Circle • 4 min walk
- 59th St – Columbus Circle • 4 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
- leslie s186 contributionsBetter in PersonOmg!! What fun!! This is a must do for all. Watching on TV is great to see but to actually be up close to all the floats is magical. The little ones will be in awe! I was on 36th across from Gotham city. It was absolutely perfect for floats. If you want to see the bands perform then between 37th-39th will be where you need to be. There is plenty places to get coffee or a snack. The day was magical even though no place to go to bathroom.Visited November 2023Travelled soloWritten 29 November 2023
- WPLandryFairfax, Virginia589 contributionsA once in a lifetime mustThis was on our bucket list and I am so glad we did it this year. While it's not something I would do every year, it is something I would do again. Be ready for crowds, but then again, that's NYC in general! Streets are blocked off, which is actually really cool. Before and after the parade, you can experience the streets of NY in a unique way - no cars! We took full advantage of just walking around before and after to really see the city in a way you don't often get. As for the parade, it's everything you see on TV except the performances. Mostly, you just get to see everything coming down the streets unless you camp out in one of the performance zones.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 7 January 2024
- Susan KNew York City, New York1,093 contributionsEveryone must experience the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade at least once in your life-As a New Yorker, the Thanksgiving Day parade is an important family tradition. You take your kids, they invite out of town friends, they take their kids, etc. People come from all over the world to see the floats and balloons.enjoy the performances, and just be showered with joy. The staff that works on putting the parade together do an inspiring job as there are so many people to outfit. This is a wonderful place to be if you are in New York during the holiday season.Visited November 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 3 March 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
219 reviews
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38
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17
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8
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5
navhayre
Leamington Spa, UK20 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
So it starts at 9am and we got there for 8am to try and get a good spot. We were staying on Times Square so went by the Bank of China and there was already hundreds of people. What you need to do is purchase a hot drink before you go to the parade. When you see the big balloons they are really cool but there’s a lot of waiting in between them so we started to get bored. Glad I went and done it but the amount of waiting around in between them is not fun.
Written 10 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darel S
Appleton, WI33 contributions
Nov 2022 • Family
Macy’s and New York City did a nice job of putting on this event. Managing all this mass of stuff and people has to be a gigantic undertaking and it all seemed to go off smoothly. We had fun taking in the balloons on Wednesday night before the parade and had a great time at the parade itself.
Written 26 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
leslie s
NEW YORK/USA186 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
Omg!! What fun!! This is a must do for all. Watching on TV is great to see but to actually be up close to all the floats is magical. The little ones will be in awe! I was on 36th across from Gotham city. It was absolutely perfect for floats. If you want to see the bands perform then between 37th-39th will be where you need to be. There is plenty places to get coffee or a snack. The day was magical even though no place to go to bathroom.
Written 29 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gjkuk
Ulverston, UK127 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
we had a great time at the parade.we were walking along 6ave and came to a barrier my wife asked if we could get to the other side we were told to come in and stand there which we did. Unknown to us we were in the NYPD fallen hero's section for there family's. We were aloud to stay there with some very nice people from NY. just across from radio city.great place to be.
Written 29 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adventuresofsonyat
Paducah, KY221 contributions
Nov 2022 • Family
The favorite part of my experience was seeing the balloons in person. The parade has always been exciting to watch on television but to see it in person is fabulous. A must on the bucket list. I encourage staying at a hotel on tge parade route, so you can go in and out if you’re cold. Take a small stool to sit on and mark your spot. Despite how early you go out, time seems to fly and you’ll be off to the rest of days agenda.
Written 7 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kim E
1 contribution
Nov 2022
I have just returned from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022 and want to write a detailed review. I did a lot of research about the parade before going, and a lot of what I read is just simply not true. First, THERE ARE BATHROOMS. That was my biggest concern since we were leaving at 5:00 am and wouldn't have access to a bathroom until the parade was over. Second, you are not packed in like sardines. You can easily leave to go to the bathroom or get food and drinks. Third, get there earlier than 6:00 if you want to be on the front. The 6:00-6:30 time frame that was so recommended will not score you a front row spot. Fourth, you can bring chairs, and security will not ask you to put them up before the parade starts. Many people held spots for family members who were still in bed by using chairs. Fifth, the parade did not start promptly at 9:00. Sixth, the people around you are genuinely nice and will not try to steal your spot or try to push in front of you when the parade begins. Seventh, you will not be bored or freeze to death while waiting on the parade to begin.
Here is our experience in a nutshell:
We woke up and decided not to have coffee or breakfast to decrease our chances of having to go to the bathroom during the parade. We took a couple of bottles of water and some goldfish and granola bars to eat or drink if we needed it. We also took 2 lightweight portable camping chairs (Moon Lence Ultralight Foldable Camping Chairs with Carry Bags from Amazon- 2 for $57 - 2 1/2 pounds and easily slide into a back pack), three blankets, and lots of hand warmers and foot warmers (Hot Hands Hand and Toe Warmers- 48 for $23 from Amazon).
We left our daughter's apartment in Brooklyn at 5:15 am, a little later than we wanted. Because it was a holiday, the trains were not running as often, so we didn't get to our chosen parade spot until 6:20 am. We were trying to be there by 6:00 am. to get a front row spot, but it didn't happen. We chose to watch the parade between 71st Street and 70th Street across the street from Central Park West. When we arrived, there were no spots remaining along the gates, so we ended up on the second row. Most everyone who had front row spots had gotten there between 4:30 and 5:00 am. Even though we were on the second row, we had an incredible view of the parade. We spread out a blanket for our girls (22 and 27) and we set up our chairs and had a good time talking to the people around us while we waited for the parade to start. By 7:30, our sidewalk was filled from the building to the parade gate, but we were not packed in like sardines. The first three rows were filled with people sitting in chairs, and the remaining rows were standing room only. We could easily get out and no one tried to get our spot while we were gone. My daughters left around 7:00 to get coffee. They came back around 8:00 and had no trouble getting back to us. They left again around 8:25 to go to the restroom, and I was super worried that they would not be able to make it back to us before the parade started since more people had packed in, but they had no problems. There were 3 port a potties in the middle of the street on 71st Street just down from us. Across the street were about 10 port a potties at the 72nd Street entrance to Central Park. In addition, there are numerous bathroom facilities that open at dawn in Central Park. You can download a Central Park restroom map online or pick up one in the park. We scouted out the restrooms the day before the parade because it was my biggest concern. Some of the Central Park restrooms say they close mid November on the online site, but all of them were open on Thanksgiving Day. I also saw at least 10 port a potties on Columbus Circle at the 60th Street entrance to Central Park, and there are public restrooms at Tavern on the Green on the 67th Street entrance to Central Park. If you needed a restroom, you could certainly find one. My daughters even used the restroom in the Starbucks coffee shop they visited earlier in the morning. I don't know if this is something new, but there were plenty of restrooms to be found. Note: you cannot cross the street to Central Park during the parade, so if you want to use those restrooms, get a spot on the Central Park side. Many of the spots are reserved bleacher seating on the Central Park side, so make sure you choose a spot without bleachers. My daughters got back from the restroom around 8:40. While they were gone, no one tried to take their spots or push their way to the front. I had read to bring blankets and chairs to help secure your space if you left, so I am glad we had them for this reason. It still did not feel claustrophobic when the parade started, and the crowd seemed to leave a very small place for people to walk.
The temperature when we arrived that morning was 39, and it was 44 by the time the parade was over. We wore thick coats, scarves, gloves, and hats, we covered up with blankets, and we had hand warmers and feet warmers in our gloves and shoes. Because we were across the street from Central Park, the sun came up and shone on us the entire time which certainly helped keep us warm. It was chilly, but not uncomfortably cold. I'm sure it would have felt much colder in the shade of the NYC buildings if we had watched the parade there. We had a few sips of water and ate some goldfish but never got hungry or thirsty. I was worried about not having coffee since I drink 2-3 cups every morning, but I did just fine. I was super happy to get coffee once the parade ended though.
The parade started at 8:52, not 9:00 am. The police escort was actually set up right in front of us, so it was neat to see them start up the sirens and motorcycle engines and kick off the parade. Everyone around us folded up their blankets so that others could get closer, but no one folded up their chairs, and no one told us to fold them up. That is probably why we never felt packed in like sardines. The people in front of us have been coming for years and said that they had never seen so many people at the parade. They assumed the large crowd was due to a combination of beautiful weather and pent up post Covid travel. Whatever the case, we have felt more crowded waiting at the Ticket and Transportation Center during Thanksgiving at Disney World than we did at the Macy's parade with "record level crowds". My husband tends to get claustrophobic in crowds, but he never felt like it was overly crowded at the parade. Again, I think this is because we had chairs and were on the second row . I imagine that standing shoulder to shoulder with strangers for hours would make anyone feel very crowded, but we were prepared and planned ahead so this would not happen.
We loved the in-person parade experience. The balloons were amazing, and the balloon handlers were phenomenal. The celebrities on the floats made eye contact with us and we could hear everything they said while they passed by on the floats. The performers interacted with all of us and covered us in confetti and "Happy Thanksgiving" wishes. Every band played as they passed by us, and it wasn't overly loud. The entire experience was fantastic, and I would go back in a heartbeat.
The parade ended with Santa passing by at 10:40. It was not chaotic getting out of there, and the lines were not ridiculously long for the bathrooms. We folded up our chairs, put them in our backpacks, and walked to the restrooms in Central Park. There were probably 5 or 6 people in line for each port a potty we passed, but we were able to walk right in to the restrooms at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. After using the restrooms, we walked to Le Pain Quotidien in Central Park to get our coffee. There were about 20 people in line in front of us, but the line moved very quickly. After getting our coffee, we sat on a park bench, sipped on our coffee, and talked about the parade until it was time to leave for our 12:00 reservation at Serendipity. It was a magical day, and I highly recommend it for anyone like me who has dreamed of seeing the parade in person since they were little.
Here is our experience in a nutshell:
We woke up and decided not to have coffee or breakfast to decrease our chances of having to go to the bathroom during the parade. We took a couple of bottles of water and some goldfish and granola bars to eat or drink if we needed it. We also took 2 lightweight portable camping chairs (Moon Lence Ultralight Foldable Camping Chairs with Carry Bags from Amazon- 2 for $57 - 2 1/2 pounds and easily slide into a back pack), three blankets, and lots of hand warmers and foot warmers (Hot Hands Hand and Toe Warmers- 48 for $23 from Amazon).
We left our daughter's apartment in Brooklyn at 5:15 am, a little later than we wanted. Because it was a holiday, the trains were not running as often, so we didn't get to our chosen parade spot until 6:20 am. We were trying to be there by 6:00 am. to get a front row spot, but it didn't happen. We chose to watch the parade between 71st Street and 70th Street across the street from Central Park West. When we arrived, there were no spots remaining along the gates, so we ended up on the second row. Most everyone who had front row spots had gotten there between 4:30 and 5:00 am. Even though we were on the second row, we had an incredible view of the parade. We spread out a blanket for our girls (22 and 27) and we set up our chairs and had a good time talking to the people around us while we waited for the parade to start. By 7:30, our sidewalk was filled from the building to the parade gate, but we were not packed in like sardines. The first three rows were filled with people sitting in chairs, and the remaining rows were standing room only. We could easily get out and no one tried to get our spot while we were gone. My daughters left around 7:00 to get coffee. They came back around 8:00 and had no trouble getting back to us. They left again around 8:25 to go to the restroom, and I was super worried that they would not be able to make it back to us before the parade started since more people had packed in, but they had no problems. There were 3 port a potties in the middle of the street on 71st Street just down from us. Across the street were about 10 port a potties at the 72nd Street entrance to Central Park. In addition, there are numerous bathroom facilities that open at dawn in Central Park. You can download a Central Park restroom map online or pick up one in the park. We scouted out the restrooms the day before the parade because it was my biggest concern. Some of the Central Park restrooms say they close mid November on the online site, but all of them were open on Thanksgiving Day. I also saw at least 10 port a potties on Columbus Circle at the 60th Street entrance to Central Park, and there are public restrooms at Tavern on the Green on the 67th Street entrance to Central Park. If you needed a restroom, you could certainly find one. My daughters even used the restroom in the Starbucks coffee shop they visited earlier in the morning. I don't know if this is something new, but there were plenty of restrooms to be found. Note: you cannot cross the street to Central Park during the parade, so if you want to use those restrooms, get a spot on the Central Park side. Many of the spots are reserved bleacher seating on the Central Park side, so make sure you choose a spot without bleachers. My daughters got back from the restroom around 8:40. While they were gone, no one tried to take their spots or push their way to the front. I had read to bring blankets and chairs to help secure your space if you left, so I am glad we had them for this reason. It still did not feel claustrophobic when the parade started, and the crowd seemed to leave a very small place for people to walk.
The temperature when we arrived that morning was 39, and it was 44 by the time the parade was over. We wore thick coats, scarves, gloves, and hats, we covered up with blankets, and we had hand warmers and feet warmers in our gloves and shoes. Because we were across the street from Central Park, the sun came up and shone on us the entire time which certainly helped keep us warm. It was chilly, but not uncomfortably cold. I'm sure it would have felt much colder in the shade of the NYC buildings if we had watched the parade there. We had a few sips of water and ate some goldfish but never got hungry or thirsty. I was worried about not having coffee since I drink 2-3 cups every morning, but I did just fine. I was super happy to get coffee once the parade ended though.
The parade started at 8:52, not 9:00 am. The police escort was actually set up right in front of us, so it was neat to see them start up the sirens and motorcycle engines and kick off the parade. Everyone around us folded up their blankets so that others could get closer, but no one folded up their chairs, and no one told us to fold them up. That is probably why we never felt packed in like sardines. The people in front of us have been coming for years and said that they had never seen so many people at the parade. They assumed the large crowd was due to a combination of beautiful weather and pent up post Covid travel. Whatever the case, we have felt more crowded waiting at the Ticket and Transportation Center during Thanksgiving at Disney World than we did at the Macy's parade with "record level crowds". My husband tends to get claustrophobic in crowds, but he never felt like it was overly crowded at the parade. Again, I think this is because we had chairs and were on the second row . I imagine that standing shoulder to shoulder with strangers for hours would make anyone feel very crowded, but we were prepared and planned ahead so this would not happen.
We loved the in-person parade experience. The balloons were amazing, and the balloon handlers were phenomenal. The celebrities on the floats made eye contact with us and we could hear everything they said while they passed by on the floats. The performers interacted with all of us and covered us in confetti and "Happy Thanksgiving" wishes. Every band played as they passed by us, and it wasn't overly loud. The entire experience was fantastic, and I would go back in a heartbeat.
The parade ended with Santa passing by at 10:40. It was not chaotic getting out of there, and the lines were not ridiculously long for the bathrooms. We folded up our chairs, put them in our backpacks, and walked to the restrooms in Central Park. There were probably 5 or 6 people in line for each port a potty we passed, but we were able to walk right in to the restrooms at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. After using the restrooms, we walked to Le Pain Quotidien in Central Park to get our coffee. There were about 20 people in line in front of us, but the line moved very quickly. After getting our coffee, we sat on a park bench, sipped on our coffee, and talked about the parade until it was time to leave for our 12:00 reservation at Serendipity. It was a magical day, and I highly recommend it for anyone like me who has dreamed of seeing the parade in person since they were little.
Written 6 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BojiMom
Spirit Lake, IA1 contribution
Nov 2018
We were parade first timers in 2018 and stayed at the Radisson at 32nd & 6th Ave, so we were 2 blocks south of the main event on TV. We had read to be out by 6 am, so husband was up and out on the street by 5:20 am scouting spots. At that early hour there was no one on the street at 34th and 6th where it turns to Macy's for the TV coverage, however NYPD informed him that in that area there was no public viewing (which we had read, but hey we had to try!), so he would need to be cleared out in a couple hours. He moved up to between 36th and 37th, and started to settle in when a Macy's staff member informed the small group that block was a "quiet zone" and while they could sit there, no bands would play, presumably due to the proximity to the TV coverage area. Moved again up to between 38th and 39th, and positioned ourselves between the metal barricade and a mailbox and light pole. Had read a tip to find a stationary object like a mailbox to keep the crowd from pushing in on you when the parade starts, and it worked beautifully. There was not room for anyone else between the barrier, us, and the mailbox/light post. Highly suggest that strategy if you go. Also bring a blanket or something to sit on, though if traveling by plane as we were, that is hard to do. Plan to buy a blanket, or at minimum scout out some cardboard a day or two ahead you can take to use as a makeshift seat (lots available around in evening trash piles!). Sleepy teenagers and I joined husband and were all in place by 5:45 am. It was the coldest parade on record, so that may have delayed the crowd arriving somewhat. By 6:30 am front row spots were gone. By 7:30 it was about 4 rows deep, and we decided it was last chance for food or bathrooms, so snuck away to a McDonald's three blocks south. Had great neighbors who all helped save spots while we (and others) ran for restrooms and coffee. Shockingly, no line for the ladies room at the McD, and no code or purchase needed to use the facilities (it's in the upstairs). Pay attention, because as everyone else has said, there really are NO bathrooms, so pick your location and do some reconnaissance ahead of time and be smart to limit liquid consumption. The McDonald's block (between 35th and 36th) was actually closed to all standing, but NYPD was letting you through if you said that was where you wanted to go and asked them to move the barrier. Hustled back to our spots by 7:50 and remained in place through the duration. By 9 am it was 15 rows deep, completely full from barricade to the buildings. Stores near us had been open early until about 8:30 so our kids had a chance to go in and warm up a couple times, but then stores shut down (no one could get in anyway) before the parade started. Parade arrived to us at 9:40-9:45, and ended right about 11:45. We ended up on the east side of the street by dumb luck, which turned out to be a good thing, as that is the side of the floats that turns toward the TV cameras. Most stars were positioned to the middle of the float so could be seen from both sides, but some were only on our east side, so not as visible to others on the west side of the street. Ended up walking back to hotel via 5th Ave., as the parade was still traversing 6th Ave.; be prepared for lots of people going every which way when it's over. Took us about 25 minutes to go the 9 blocks back to hotel. If you are staying in the area, be sure you have a reservation for Thanksgiving lunch afterward, as lots of people are looking for food. Many restaurants have menus online so you can book ahead. Like most things, we found a range of prices depending on what you are looking for. All in all, a great once-in-a-lifetime and bucket-list experience and being in the front row was completely worth the few hours of missed sleep. Main advice: do your research ahead, read everything you can find about it, and choose your spot wisely. And NO coffee 'til it's over.
Written 27 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deanna D
ohio40 contributions
Nov 2016
I cannot say enough about this experience... it was truly AMAZING! If you even remotely have thought about wanting to go to this parade-think no more- and DO IT! We had front row seating. Here are my tips: take camping chairs (not only for the seat, but they also help give and keep your space when it gets crowded), for front row seating get there at 6am-no later than 6:30am (we sat at 67th/Central Park West which was a great spot and did not get overly crowded until after 8am), if you do sit here there is a lovely coffee shop just a few blocks away (Boule&Cherie-68th&Amsterdam) that opened at 7am that had outlets to charge your phone and, most importantly, a bathroom. Go back there after the parade for a bite to eat, let the crowds clear out, then head to your destination. Also, if you get there later (same location), and the front row seating is gone, there is a nice little park across the street in Central Park that would have wonderful views. You won't be street-side, but it is on a hill and there are benches and NO ONE was sitting in there. It would be a really great place to view the parade especially if you dislike crowds. :)
Written 28 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thangu T
61 contributions
July 2017 • Solo
The parade is awesome always. I woke up early, caught the train by running at 5 am, reached the parade early and stood in the freezing cold for a long time. When, the bike riders came with the parade with all the zeal, all the cold feeling vanished and it was worth the wait. Another year, I had to stand on a wall to see the parade. Take a chair, pack food, come and sit early to get space to see.
Written 19 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lucy
Pembrokeshire, UK257 contributions
Nov 2019
The Macy's Parade is incredible, and is the warm friendly American atmosphere at it's very best. Don't listen to the haters who have written poor reviews, if you are well-prepared this will be a great experience. Being a UK resident, I'm probably only ever going to see the Macy's Parade once in my life but what a memory this one-time visit will leave me with.
We visited for Thanksgiving Weekend 2019. We were staying down on 42nd Street, and having done some extensive research, we made a 5am wake-up call for Thanksgiving day. We strolled up to the Upper West Side for 6am, and chose a spot on the side of the street (facing Central Park) two or three blocks up from Columbus Circle. We stuck in our spot and slowly people joined us. Police were patrolling the street and moving people along. As time went by, the police started closing off blocks as they were filling up which was actually great to see, as it meant that nowhere seemed to crowded.
We made conversation with those around us including the police and everyone was in great spirits. It was cold so wrap up warm, but it was actually surprising how quickly the three hours before the parade started went.
The Parade itself was mind-blowing. Massive balloons all professionally controlled and steered along the street path, even in high winds. Everyone was respectful, clapping and cheering along the performers. We were lucky with clear blue skies and a dry day, with winds being the only thing of concern. There isn't too much of a wait between balloons/performers so the couple of hours the parade took actually went fairly quickly too. Huge thank you and a massive respect for the police and official persons here, they were all happy, friendly and informative. I even saw them reunite a man with his wife and daughter who were stuck a couple of blocks apart.
After the parade finished, everyone calmly dispersed the site. We even managed to somehow find a table for four in a nearby diner where we ate a much-needed brunch.
If, like me, this is likely to be a once in a lifetime activity for you, do it. With preparation, it can be a stress-free fun day for all.
We visited for Thanksgiving Weekend 2019. We were staying down on 42nd Street, and having done some extensive research, we made a 5am wake-up call for Thanksgiving day. We strolled up to the Upper West Side for 6am, and chose a spot on the side of the street (facing Central Park) two or three blocks up from Columbus Circle. We stuck in our spot and slowly people joined us. Police were patrolling the street and moving people along. As time went by, the police started closing off blocks as they were filling up which was actually great to see, as it meant that nowhere seemed to crowded.
We made conversation with those around us including the police and everyone was in great spirits. It was cold so wrap up warm, but it was actually surprising how quickly the three hours before the parade started went.
The Parade itself was mind-blowing. Massive balloons all professionally controlled and steered along the street path, even in high winds. Everyone was respectful, clapping and cheering along the performers. We were lucky with clear blue skies and a dry day, with winds being the only thing of concern. There isn't too much of a wait between balloons/performers so the couple of hours the parade took actually went fairly quickly too. Huge thank you and a massive respect for the police and official persons here, they were all happy, friendly and informative. I even saw them reunite a man with his wife and daughter who were stuck a couple of blocks apart.
After the parade finished, everyone calmly dispersed the site. We even managed to somehow find a table for four in a nearby diner where we ate a much-needed brunch.
If, like me, this is likely to be a once in a lifetime activity for you, do it. With preparation, it can be a stress-free fun day for all.
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Besides floats, there's also usually local high school marching bands.
Written 22 January 2023
We'd like to pick a viewing spot on the street somewhat close to restrooms. Other than Bryant Park which I heard is insanely busy, are there other areas close to a restroom? Deli or restaurant names?
Written 4 November 2021
I was wanting to book a hotel on the route so i can watch the parade from my hotel room. Any suggestions ? Also, does anyone have any idea if the parade is going to get canceled because of the virus ?
Written 1 June 2020
Check the parade route (you can Google it) - there are many hotels along the route. Basically, the parade starts on the Upper West Side and moves south on Central Park West to the bottom of Central Park - then turns east and turns south on Sixth Avenue - it goes south on Sixth Avenue to the finish at Herald Square. There are several hotels along the route - I would contact the hotel directly and tell them you want a room where you can watch the parade. The room should be on a lower floor, like 2nd floor or 3rd floor. The Warwick and The Hilton on Sixth Avenue are directly on the parade route. We attend the parade, but we watch it from the street. I believe there is a good chance the parade will be cancelled in 2020 - but who knows? The decision would be made well in advance.
Written 2 June 2020
876maiab
Decatur, Alabama
Where is the best place to stay on the parade route? We also want to do all of the other “regular” tourist things. I’ve been to NY twice
and stayed in Times Square both times. Thanks for any advice!
Written 29 January 2020
I would highly recommend the Kimpton Muse hotel at 130 West 46th Street, great place to stay & only about 150 metres from Times square on 7th & the parade route on 6th.
We watched the parade from the corner of West 46th & 6th avenue, if you get there early about 7am you get a great view of the whole parade. Have fun
Written 30 January 2020
I am bringing my grandchildren to the parade in 2020. I was wondering about the NY Hilton Midtown and their parade viewing rooms? Thank you
Written 23 January 2020
The parade goes right in front of the Hilton on Sixth Avenue. I don't know what their parade-view rooms are like. We always watch the parade from the street, but in case the weather is bad it would be nice to have an alternate plan and view the parade from your cozy room. You could even get Hot Chocolate to enjoy - whether inside or outside.
Written 25 January 2020
We are arriving the day before thanksgiving so not much time to scout out where is best to view the Parade. It’s my second time in NYC but first time staying in the Upper West Side, we are staying on West 77th St. Will be be near a good position to watch the parade? Have seen all the info about wrapping up and getting there super early. First timer to the Parade and very excited!
Written 20 November 2019
All along Central Park west great spots and down 6th Avenue in beginning down to radio city should not have a problem finding spot. I’m usually right in front on Central Park west I get there around 7
Written 21 November 2019
If watching the parade from the Shops at Columbus Circle, what time do you recommend we arrive to line up to get in? And would we be allowed to bring our own chairs?
Written 15 October 2019
6am. To get a good seat u can bring chairs and blankets
Written 16 October 2019
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