One of our favorite holiday traditions is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The floats are beautiful, the balloons massive, the entertainment spectacular, and the characters and celebrities are sure to delight every family member.
Tips for the Day
- Watch the weather forecast like a hawk!
- Definitely plan to take the train or public transportation if you can.
- If it’s going to be cold, buy hand warmers and toe warmers ahead of time from your local drugstore or Costco.
- Do plan to arrive two hours before the parade is scheduled to start.
- Pack a thermos of hot cocoa and lots of snacks.
- For great views, stake out a spot in midtown at 56th Street and Sixth Avenue. Central Park South and 59th Street are blocked off, but if you have family members who are part of New York’s finest, you might get a special invitation.
- Bring a small stepping stool so your little ones can have a good view (or lift weights for a few weeks prior so you can juggle 9-year-olds on your shoulders for more than a half hour).
After the parade, we highly recommend walking over to Fifth Avenue to buy a snack at the Starbucks in the Trump Tower to see the gorgeous tree in the basement there. There’s a comfy sitting area (and even a beautiful bathroom, if needed). We’ve found that it’s best to avoid FAO Schwarz if you can, because it will be wall-to-wall crowds of screaming kids (be sure to pack some aspirin just in case). Instead, take a stroll through Central Park to the Tisch Children’s Zoo. Your kids can search for the snow leopards, visit the penguins and end the afternoon with the adorable sea lion feeding and lecture. After, the whole family will be ready to go home and enjoy turkey (and maybe after even start your holiday decorating).
Holiday Traditions: Decorating the House after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Other Options that We Plan to Investigate This Year
Another option for your family is to check out the blowing up of the balloons on Thanksgiving Eve. This is very exciting, too! Mommy Poppins gives great tips on how to manage and navigate the line-up.
This year we are looking forward to kicking off our holiday festivities with skating at Bank of America’s Winter Village at Bryant Park. We then plan to visit the balloons being blown up next to the Museum of Natural History before we attend a rehearsal of the New York City Ballet’s famous Nutcracker, courtesy of MasterCard #Priceless Cities. The Nutcracker is one of our favorite holiday traditions, and getting rehearsal tickets for only $15 per person makes it the perfect event for a family, even one with a wide range of ages and restless boys.
We wish you and your family a fantastic and blessed Thanksgiving!
Consider a new Holiday Tradition: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
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