Few things compare to seeing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person on a November morning. Seeing giant balloons like Snoopy and modern favorites like Bluey and Grogu (aka “Baby Yoda”) fly through the streets of New York City is an iconic holiday experience on many families’ travel wish lists.
Assuming you don’t live in the Big Apple or nearby, watching the parade will require skipping (or delaying) a traditional Thanksgiving meal at home. However, carrying on this tradition will be worth the effort when you see your child giddy with excitement as their favorite cartoon characters float by.
More than 3.5 million people attend the Macy’s Parade in person each year. It’s important to strategize your visit so you’re not off the curb, struggling to catch a glimpse of the street.
We’ve attended the event ourselves, and it’s safe to say that there are many things you’ll want to keep in mind when planning your day at the parade. Here are our top tips for seeing the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
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Inflate the balloon the day before
If you want to see the balloons featured in the annual parade up close, you won’t want to miss the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation. During this event, you will see the balloons come alive as they are inflated.
The day before the parade, inflation begins at noon on the Upper West Side near the American Museum of Natural History at 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue. It runs until 6pm, giving you several hours to catch a glimpse of what’s to come during the parade.
Not surprisingly, this preparation event is very popular. The balloons are fully inflated in the early evening leading to long lines. The earlier you arrive, the less crowded it will be because you’ll be walking an organized trail to see the balloons. However, know that it takes time to inflate a giant balloon to the height of a four-story building. So, you’ll want to try your luck by arriving closer to 3pm when most of the balloons start to take shape.
To get to the event location by public transport, allow extra time; The subway station at 77th Street gets very crowded as the afternoon wears on. You can hail a cab or use a ride-hailing service, though you’ll want to walk a block or two north of the gate-off section to avoid delays.
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TPG Tip: Consider taking the 1, 2 or 3 train to Broadway and 72nd Street instead. It’s a bit far but an easy walk — just follow the crowd.
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Line up very early on the parade route
Once we saw the parade, we hit the spots around 55th Street and Sixth Avenue, a few blocks after the parade turned from the Upper West Side to Macy’s. Although the parade started at 9am, we arrived before 7am, so it was already too late to get a spot right on the curb.
Still, we managed to get in the second row, which was enough, especially since the people in front of us were happy to let all the little kids stand in the front row to get a good view.
If you don’t want to rely on luck and instead want to snag a coveted front-row spot at the curb, you’ll need to show up before 7 a.m., because the streets are already lined up as far as the eye can see. That time. Based on conversations with a few parade experts around us, 6 a.m. is the magic time to get a curb spot on this part of the route.
Other parts of the route may require an earlier wake-up call, so plan accordingly if you have a specific location in mind. For example, we were told that prime seats at covered bus stops fill up around 4 am.
If you must have deep pockets and want to avoid being out in the elements, you can pay for brunch with a view along the parade route. Just be sure to check these reservations well in advance, as they tend to fill up quickly.
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TPG Tip: For those arriving later in the morning, you can stand on the closed side streets leading to the parade. You may be 10-15 people back, but you can still see most of the action.
Bring something to keep you busy – and warm
The parade begins at 9 a.m. at Central Park West on 77th Street. Since the route is 2 1/2 miles long, the lead coaches don’t arrive at Macy’s until around 9:40 a.m. This means you’ll have some downtime before you can start seeing the spectacle.
Because you may find yourself waiting several hours until the parade shows up, you’ll want to bring some supplies to keep your kids busy, such as snacks, snacks, and portable games. A A backup charger is also a good idea.
My family chose to enjoy breakfast on the street before coloring and watching some Netflix shows on our phones. We sat down as much as possible before the parade arrived, which I highly recommend – at least, for your little ones – to keep your stamina up when the balloons appear.
You can bring camping chairs, buckets, or anything else you want to sit on in the parade, although these items aren’t very helpful for the parade since everyone seems to be standing. Still, at the very least, you might want to have some hotel towels or blankets instead of the hard, cold, gum-covered New York City sidewalks.
Don’t forget proper clothing (think: jackets, hats, gloves, and even umbrellas, if rain is in the forecast) because the weather can change quickly in late fall.
Live in the moment
While we all attend parades with images of the annual event playing in our heads from TV screens, know that the celebration is a little different in person.
Just like at home, everyone gets excited as the time for the parade approaches and before long, cheers erupt as the parade comes into view. The first thing we saw were clowns roller-skating with bundles of balloons. Soon came New York Police Department motorcycles, horses, marching bands, cheerleaders, floats and, of course, giant character balloons.
However, watching at home you might not realize how interactive the experience can be. Being so close to the front row meant that our daughter became part of the parade. In addition to getting high-fives from clowns and getting confetti thrown into her hair, she got to enjoy a face-to-face encounter with a Harlem globetrotter.
Not everything you see on TV happens on the parade route either. Some performances, including the Radio City Rockettes and various singing and dancing groups, take place only in front of Macy’s Herald Square (where the cameras are). Consequently, you want to manage your expectations. Don’t worry about what you’re missing. Instead, focus on what’s happening in front of you: the floats, the balloons, and the festivities.
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Book a hotel near the parade route
The parade covers so much of the city that there isn’t one The Best Hotels for Attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade While some hotels are in physical operation Parade routeIt’s not as simple as booking a room at one of these properties and watching the festivities from your window.
Sure, some windows at hotels along the route offer good views, but hotels are savvy, so those rooms are often sold as part of a pricey parade package. As such, you’ll have to pay more to watch the parade from your actual hotel room and often meet minimum stay requirements.
If you don’t want to splurge to watch all the action from your room, ask if your hotel has a special viewing area for guests. Often, hotels along the parade route have some space outside where passing patrons can watch the parade.
Following are some of the most popular properties along the parade route:
If you have trouble securing a room at a property on the parade route or want to save a few bucks, consider staying off the route or a block away.
We’re staying at the St. Regis New York at the Park Hyatt New York the morning of the parade and love both of their locations. Both are very short walks to and from the parade, which was much appreciated when the parade was over. The Park Hyatt has the added bonus of some fun indoor swimming for the family when the parade is over!
Pro tip: Hotel points are a great way to get a great hotel near the parade route and keep cash in your pocket.
Some points-friendly hotels that are within walking distance of the parade route include:
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The bottom line
My family has attended the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade several times, we walked away thinking the event was amazing. The balloons flew high, the weather was perfect for late November and the people around us were amazing. At one point, it started snowing before Santa even got to the end in a way you couldn’t have planned.
Since New York City is an incredible destination for the holidays, there are all sorts of other ways to celebrate the season after kicking it off with a parade.
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