Tips/Experience Needed: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Trip

[carolinamama]

We've been talking about going to NYC for the parade for years and we are finally doing it this year before kids start going off to college and want to spend the holiday relaxing. I have our hotel booked but not much else. I know it will be crazy but fun. It's strangely hard to find much online beyond tips for the actual parade. I'd love some first-hand information if you've been.
- Where did you watch the parade?
- Thanksgiving dinner suggestions
- Other fun activities for that weekend
- Anything you found helpful
- What not to do

Thank you so much!

[candaceb]

We went in 2015, partly to avoid family Thanksgiving drama and partly because we knew it was probably our last year living in Connecticut (it was). DS was 5. He is the only person who actually saw the parade, other than the balloons, because he was on DH's shoulders. Our hotel was at something like 54th & 5th Ave. and we just walked over to 6th a couple of hours before the parade started. We were still 5 people back, but when we turned around after the parade had started there were probably 10 rows behind us. So, be prepared to go really early if you actually want to see the parade.
We went the day before to see the balloons being inflated in Central Park and that was really cool - I definitely recommend it.
For Thanksgiving dinner, we had a "top 5" dinner on Tuesday before we left. I got a rotisserie chicken and each person picked their favorite side. We ended up with the basics - cranberries, sweet potatoes,rolls, pumpkin pie and my mom said we needed a salad. On Thanksgiving Day, we went to Koreatown and had Korean BBQ. It was a lot of fun and I would do it again. The whole thing was much better than dealing with my sister and all her drama.

[mom2binsd]

I had friends who went who booked a hotel that had their own reserved area, but I think it was pretty pricey and had a two night minimum. Maybe see if that's an option?

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[SnuggleBuggles]

My friends stayed in the Residence Inn near Bryant Park and had a parade view out their window. Looked great to me!


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[mom2binsd]

Also see if they still allow you to go see the balloons being set up/staged the night before, I've heard it is pretty cool but not sure if they still do it.

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[SnuggleBuggles]

I think this site has great info on the parade and seeing the balloon inflation https://freetoursbyfoot.com/macys-th...-parade-route/

[mmsmom]

The further away from midtown, the better. Yes, there are ways and packages to get views but they are all very $$$. I have been when I lived in NYC on the Upper West Side and it was far less crowded than midtown. The higher up you can get on parade route the better. And as PP said, the best time IMO is the Wednesday night before on the UWS when they blow up the balloons. So fun to watch & very festive environment.

[lizzywednesday]

Also see if they still allow you to go see the balloons being set up/staged the night before, I've heard it is pretty cool but not sure if they still do it. ...

They do, but security is pretty tight! They shut down the whole neighborhood in 2022 - my brother Joe lives a few blocks away, and he said it made his commute harder.

[carolinamama]

Thank you for the tips! I'm starting to feel like it's coming together. We are staying in Midtown but will make our way to the Upper West Side very early for the parade. Now I just need to figure out a place for our Thanksgiving meal.

[jgenie]

Thank you for the tips! I'm starting to feel like it's coming together. We are staying in Midtown but will make our way to the Upper West Side very early for the parade. Now I just need to figure out a place for our Thanksgiving meal.

How exciting!! Please report back! I thought I had my crew ready to go this past year but they sang a different tune at 5:00 in the morning.