21 Nov Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: A Family Guide to the Big Day

Thursday, Nov 27,  8:30am – 12pm

Every Thanksgiving morning, just as New York is waking up and the rest of America is deciding whether pie counts as breakfast (it does), the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins its joyful march through Manhattan. It’s one of the city’s most beloved holiday traditions — part spectacle, and part nostalgia.

The parade has come a long way since 1924, when it launched as the “Macy’s Christmas Parade” and featured live lions, tigers, and elephants borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. Crowds loved it — more than 250,000 people showed up — and by 1927 the real animals were replaced with giant balloons, giving birth to the float-filled, character-packed celebration we know today.

One of the most magical parts for families is watching those enormous balloons make their way along the city streets, following a route that’s as much a tradition as the parade itself. The festivities begin on the Upper West Side, at West 77th Street and Central Park West, where handlers guide the balloons south along the park. The parade then makes a left turn onto Central Park South, glides past the edge of the park, and heads down Sixth Avenue for its long stretch through Midtown. Finally, after all the floats, bands, clowns, dancers, and giant wobbling characters have made their appearance, the parade reaches its grand finale at Macy’s Herald Square on 34th Street.

For kids, this route isn’t just geography — it’s a real-life storybook unfolding through the city. They get to watch their favourite characters come to life, towering above the crowds, drifting between skyscrapers as though Manhattan itself is part of the set. And for parents, it’s a rare chance to see the city pause for joy, sharing a moment that feels wonderfully old-fashioned despite all the modern trimmings.

The parade has missed only a few years, and has evolved with new balloons, new performers, and new ways to watch. But some things never change — like Santa’s arrival at the very end, officially ushering in the holiday season. Whether your family is watching from a curb, a window, or the sofa at home, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of those New York moments that manages to feel both enormous and intimately magical at the same time.

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