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Holiday Attractions in NYC - Thanksgiving

Attractions | Popular Neighborhoods | Christmas | Thankgiving | New Years Eve

First celebrated by English Pilgrims in 1621 in what is now the state of Massachusetts, Thanksgiving is quite the prequel to the holiday festivities which take place here in New York City and well, across the nation. It was Governor William Bradford of New England who proclaimed a day of "thanksgiving" in celebration of the Pilgrim's first harvest in America and it was president Abraham Lincoln who later designated it as a national holiday in 1863, and president Franklin D. Roosevelt who in 1941 signed a bill that set the fourth Thursday in November as the official holiday.BUT,today it's thousands upon thousands who gather within NYC to view the Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. An event which began with the first Macy's Department Store Christmas Parade in 1924 followed by the Thanksgiving Day Parade the following year and many more after to this day.

You'll get to see over a dozen huge helium filled balloons floating along above the 8,000 or so marchers walking along the 2 mile route. With musical performances from stars, a broadway performance or two, plenty of clowns, floats and of course there are the marching bands from local Schools as well as from across the United States. In 2001 the Statue of Liberty Float was adorned with the flags of all 50 states. Some of the big names to star in the parade were Tony Bennett, Boyz II Men, Usher, Billy Gilman, O-Town and soprano Charlotte Church amongst others.

So get on down along the route which goes from 77th Street and Central Park West to Herald Square at 34th Street and Broadway.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - Annual Event

Thanksgiving Day - 9am to Noon

Here is info from the 2001 parade:

Beginning at 79th Street and Central Park West, the parade heads down to Columbus Circle at 59th Street and Broadway then goes down Broadway to Macy's Heral Square at 34th Street. All and all it's a 2.5 mile stretch.

Join in this celebration as thousands of Macy's employees join in this march. Huge helium filled balloons, from Barney, Big Bird, Cheesasaurus Rex, Dragon Tales' Cassie to Jimmy Neutron, Ronald McDonald, Snoopy and more will make kids, old and young stretch their necks to look up and smile. There'll even be the 65 foot long Pikachu and 39 floats in all, along with falloons (balloons on floats), 21 clown groups, casts from four Broadway shows, 12 marching bands and the Radio City Rockettes.

Viewing Locations:
From Central Park West: the west side of the street from 70th Street to Columbus Circle and on the east side of the street from 70th to 65th Street.
Columbus Circle: the west side of the street.
Broadway: Broadway between 58th and 38th Streets.
34th Street: the south side of the street between Broadway and 7th Avenue.

Perhaps just as exciting as this great parade is the evening before when thousands gather to view the preparation and inflation of the huge balloons.

The Viewing begins on Wednesday, Nov 21st from 3pm to 10pm at and around Columbus Avenue and 77th Street (the area surrounding the American Museum of Natural History...click here to go to that page on this site).