What to Expect at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
In New York City, a place brimming with tradition, there’s only one way to kick off the magic of the holiday season: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s the official call to string some lights and be merry and bright because, when Santa appears in his sleigh at the end of the parade, it’s game on.
Below, we’ve outlined what time to be there – or tune in – as well as what to expect in terms of live entertainment. We’ll break it all down by the numbers, from 34 floats to 11 performance groups. As with every other year, there’s something here for everyone and we hope you’ll all gather around to enjoy the show before setting up a Miracle on 34th Street movie marathon thereafter.
Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
One of the most important questions is, “What time does the Macy’s Day Parade start?” It runs from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm on the East Coast. But, here comes the tricky part: if you’d like to be there in person, you’ll need to be in place as early as 5:30 am or 6:00 am. At least, that’s the goal if you want a front-row seat to all the festivities. If you’re okay with anywhere to stand – and just want to feel the magic in the air – then, the latest you should push it is 8:00 am.
Next up, where is the Macy’s Day parade? If you plan to be there in person, you’ll need to know the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route. Every year, things kick off on West 77th Street in the Upper West Side. Then, the festivities move along the border of Central Park and down Sixth Avenue, making way to the Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square.
If you plan to stay home, all warm and cozy under the blankets with a plateful of pancakes, the only other question that remains is how to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. NBC is the home to the start of the holiday season. But, if you’ve foregone traditional cable, fear not. It will also simulstream on Peacock and Fubo. Alternatively, if you plan to sleep in, you can catch the replay on NBC at 2:00 pm.
34 Floats
The floats are one of the biggest moments of the parade. In some instances, it’s like they’ve taken a television or movie set from the big screen and brought it to life. If your kiddos are Sesame Street or Dora the Explorer fans, they’re in for a real treat this year. Here are some of the other fascinations heading to the big city:
1-2-3 Sesame Street®
Big City Cheer
Big Red Shoe Car®
Big Turkey Spectacular
Birds of a Feather Stream Together
The Brick-Changer
Camp Snoopy
Candy Cosmos
Colossal Wave of Wonder
Deck the Halls
Dora’s Fantastical Rainforest
Fantasy Chocolate Factory
Geoffrey’s Dazzling Dance Party
Gift of Freedom
Harvest in the Valley
Heartwarming Holiday Countdown
Macy’s Santaland Express
Macy’s Winter Wonderland in Central Park
Magic Meets the Seas
Palace of Sweets
Pasta Knight
Rocking Giraffe
Rocking Horse
Rocking Flamingo
Rocking Lobster
Rocking Moose
Santa’s Sleigh
SpongeBob SquarePants Garriage
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Tom Turkey
Universal’s Merry Moment
Wednesday’s Feast
The Wondership
Wondrous World of Wildlife
28 Performers
The entertainers who sign on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are part of the reason why so many people bear the cold to be part of the crowd. Take a look at some of the big names making their way down Sixth Avenue this year:
Alex Warren
Ariana Madix
Bishop Briggs
Charli D’Amelio
Chlöe
Coco Jones
Cole Escola
Dan + Shay
Dasha
Idina Menzel
Jennifer Hudson
Jimmy Fallon & The Roots
Joey McIntyre
Kylie Cantrall
Kylie Minogue
Lea Salonga
Liza Colón-Zayas
Loud Luxury
Natti Natasha
New York Liberty & Ellie the Elephant
Rachel Platten
Roman Mejia
Sebastián Yatra
The Temptations
Tiler Peck
T-Pain
Walker Hayes
The War and Treaty
28 Clown Crews
Although Mom and Dad might be looking forward to Dan + Shay, the little ones might light up when they see any number of clown crews strutting their stuff down the street. Here’s the list of performers are sure to bring a smile to the little ones:
Alphabet Clowns
Aviator Clowns
Baseball All-Star Clowns
Birthday Party Clowns
Breakfast Clowns
Camper Clowns
Car Wash Clowns
City Tourist Clowns
Coconutty Clowns
Corny-Copia Clowns
Funny Bone Medical Team
Funny Farm Clowns
Funny Firefighter Brigade
Funny Flurry Clowns
Half-Baked Holiday Sweets
Holiday Clowns
Keystone Cops
Macy’s Superheroes
Malt Shop Clowns
Nutty-Cracker Ballet Clowns
Nutty Professor Einsteins & Wacky Graduates
Photographer Clowns
Santa’s Elfen Helpers
Silly Seaside Clowns & Sailors
Sleepy Clowns
Toy Box Clowns
Turkey Tech Players & Sports Fans
Viking Clowns
22 Balloons
Let’s start with the signature moment: the massive balloons dancing down the street, spreading good cheer to everyone below. As a child, do you remember seeing Snoopy or your favorite Sesame Street character making a grand entrance? Here’s the lineup for this year:
Beagle Scout Snoopy
Bluey
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid®
Disney’s Minnie Mouse
Extraordinary Noorah™ & The Elf on the Shelf®
Gabby
Goku
Kung Fu Panda’s Po
Marshall from PAW Patrol
Monkey D. Luffy
Opening Macy’s Stars
Pikachu™ & Eevee™
The Pillsbury Doughboy™
Pumpkins
Ronald McDonald®
Sinclair’s Dino®
Smokey Bear
Snow Crystals
Spider-Man
SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary
Stuart the Minion
Tiptoe
11 Performace Groups
Dance groups and other high-energy performers unite as they dance their way down the street. This year, we have everything from Circus Vazquez to Riverdance. Take a look:
AUM Dance Creations
Black Haus Creative
BOSS Kids
Circus Vazquez
Indigenous Enterprise
Kilgore College Rangerettes
La Fuerza Dance Company
MOVE|NYC| Young Professionals Ensemble
Riverdance 30-The New Generation
Spirit of America Cheer
Spirit of America Dance Stars
7 Ballooncicles
When was the last time you saw a ballooncicle? It’s a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade creation where balloon handlers ride bicycles with balloons tethered to them. So far, no one has floated away as they bring the joy of a giant balloon down to the streets. From Baby Dinos to Nutcrackers, here’s what we can expect:
Baby Dinos
Bluey’s Grannies Car
Cookie & Crouton
Go Bowling
Lox & Java Trycaloon
Mouse King
Nutcracker
Here’s to the Magic of the Season
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is such a wonderful way to kickstart the season of joy. Not long after, we’ll be able to savor the sights of the Rockefeller Christmas tree. If you plan to visit Manhattan during this festive time of year, you won’t be disappointed.
Stick with us, all the way through to the New Year. We’re here to help you party plan, create stress-free feasts, and find the best deals on presents that your loved ones will cherish forever.