The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route and how to watch in NYC

New York City is about to celebrate!

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is Thursday, and there will be balloons, floats, performances and more galore to feast our eyes on. You can find out more about what balloons and floats to expect and which celebrities and Broadway stars are set to perform in our Macy’s Parade guide. 

In the meantime, below, we have outlined details for those who want to watch the parade in person or on TV.

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Where is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes over the Upper West Side and midtown Manhattan on the holiday. 

What time does the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade start? 

The event will start half an hour early in New York at 8:30am with a performance by Jon Batiste.

Where does the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route start?

It starts at 77th St and Central Park West and heads down to 34th Street.

Where does the route end?

Macy’s Herald Square, specifically 34th Street.

Where can I watch the Parade? Is there a map?

There are 2.5 miles of public viewing. It kicks off at West 77th Street & Central Park West and flows down Central Park West before winding around Columbus Circle and onto Central Park South and Sixth Avenue. Finally, it files down Sixth Avenue to Macy’s Herald Square.

You can watch anywhere along this route, except on Central Park West between West 59th and West 60th Streets, along Columbus Circle, on Sixth Avenue between West 34th and West 38th Streets, and on West 34th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues (the national television broadcast limits viewing here).

Here's the full route map.

How to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade:

Tune into NBC live from 8:30am to noon or stream it live on Peacock. Otherwise, get to the parade route very early to stake out your spot.