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Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Guide 2012

September 19, 2012 10:30 AM

(Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade Guide 2012

(Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the largest celebration of its kind. Over 3.5 million people watch the parade along the parade route in Manhattan and another 50 million watch at home on television. For many there is no substitute for seeing the floats, enormous balloons and marching bands in person. If you’re planning to view the parade in person from the streets of New York City, this is your insider guide for making the most of it. This year, Hello Kitty and Papa Smurf will be among those making an appearance in Midtown. Will you?

More: NYC’s 5 Best Takes On Classic Thanksgiving Foods

1010 WINS is the Official radio station of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Can’t be there to watch? Listen live!

Getting There

(credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Parking in Manhattan is always tight, but Thanksgiving Day it’s nearly impossible. From Westchester & Connecticut, your best bet is taking a Metro-North train to Grand Central Station. It’s an easy walk west from Grand Central to the parade route on 6th Avenue and 42nd Street. From Long Island take the LIRR to Penn Station. From there you can head due east to the parade route one block to Macy’s – or head north first to get to a better viewing spot on 7th Ave in the 40s.If you must drive, consider coming in to the city around 6:00am in order to get a spot in nearby lots on the Upper West Side or near Lincoln Center where garages abound.

Your best bet within the city is to stick to the subway. You can download the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade app by clicking here. Powered by MyCityWay, the iPhone or Android app will allow spectators to interact with the parade in real time. Plus, it has a real-time Santa Tracker, so you’ll be sure to stake out a good spot for the main attraction.

Not sure of your way around underground? Check out Hopstop or use the HopStop iphone app to plan your trip.

Other Thanksgiving Day travel tips:

MetroNorth & LIRR
Icon Parking
Official Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Web Site

The Night Before

The Kermit the Frog float gets prepped for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Balloon Inflation 3 p.m. -10 p.m.
Wednesday, November 21st

What started out as an event that only locals knew about, the pre-Thanksgiving balloon inflation has turned into its own must-see Thanksgiving event. See Abby Cadabby, Snoopy and all the gigantic Macy’s parade balloons come to life as they inflate on the streets near the American Museum of Natural History on 77th and 81st Streets between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West.

Route Changes For 2012

The Smurf float moves down Seventh Avenue (credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Widening pedestrian plazas and other factors have made it necessary for Macy’s to slightly alter the Thanksgiving day parade route this year. The parade will kick off early Thursday at 77th and Central Park West as usual. It will head down along CPW to Columbus Circle, before making a left and heading along Central Park South to 6th Avenue. Once at 6th Avenue, the parade will continue south until 34th Street, where it will make a right and head to Macy’s at Herald Square. For more information on the parade route, click here.

For more info on bridges and road closures, click here.

Where to Watch

(Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Plan to arrive at 6 a.m. to get a prime viewing spot. While many choose to watch from Central Park West, that tends to be the windiest and shadiest part of the route. Instead head to 42nd Street around 6th Avenue and the path along 6th Avenue to 34th Street. The sidewalks are wider and less-crowded there. You’re also more likely to find food in delis and nearby coffee shops in this area.

Tips, Tricks And Things To Remember

(Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Coming with little kids? Here are some other things to keep in mind:

Bathrooms are scarce. Hotels around the route are your best bet as well as at The Time Warner Center.

Leave the stroller at home, or plan on bringing one that folds easily and can be carried. Trying to get through the crowds with a stroller can be impossible – not to mention scary for your kid. Instead think light and easy to carry for your child and the stroller.

Pack snacks! While delis and Duane Reade stores are usually open along the route waiting around for hours is a long time, especially for little ones. Avoid meltdowns by supplying your own treats.
Dress warm and in layers. Even if it’s milder than usual on Turkey Day standing outside for 6 hours can get pretty cold. Hats and gloves will keep you and your parade watching family happy and warm.

Janice Higgins

I was so looking forward to watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and I am so disappointed with the commentators and and what they ‘thought’ was important to comment on, instead of introducing the Marching Bands that came from great distances and practiced for hours to perfect their performance, the ‘beautiful floats’ that we saw very little of after the painsaking hours that it took to create them. We got an eyeful of their favorite highflying balloons, but I was sick of hearing them talk and talk about nothing of importance to us, the viewers, who wanted to see the floats and the marching bands, hear the performers on the floats and enjoy the balloon of our favorite past years great Macy’s parades. I rarely watch CBS, and I probably won’t again after this fiasco presentation to the Television viewers, of the supposedly best parade of the year. I was waiting to see the marching band from my state, Michigan, the Plymought-Canton Marching Band, who have won so many awards, and are the first band from our state to be invited to this spoecial parade, and to see Neil Diamond sing ‘America’, and I didn’t see our band, and saw a snipet of Neil Diamond, but no singing! No other great bands to hear and enjoy, no gorgious floats to view, just the commentators in our faces! All we heard was the commentators talk and talk and talk, their guests didn’t have much to say, and be bombbarded by commercials!! What rotten way to ruin an event that we all look forward to enjoy!!!

Andrew

You’re comments are so right!
Laura M

I too am very disappointed in this years show. Way too much camera on the commentators and their cutsie chit-chat and not enough on the parade. Why didn’t we get to hear the people in the parade sing, like Neil Diamond? I love the Macy’s Parade and look forward to it every year but this one was the worst ever!! Get it together CBS.

Johnny

You can watch the entire Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade 2011 and 2010 on youtube in HD COMMERCIAL FREE.

http://www.youtube.com/user/jhn170

Neal Family

I couldn’t agree more with the other comments. My whole family was gathered around to watch the parade and the kids kept saying how horrible the parade was because they couldn’t see it through the commentators. The camera was stuck on the commentators rather than the parade. Even when we saw the floats they kept talking so much it ruined the experience. I wasn’t looking for a band from my state, but I was HIGHLY disappointed not to have heard the bands. They would have made a much better background for the parade than the commentators incessant talking. We totally didn’t get the same experience as if being there in person. This was the WORST showing of the parade ever. You totally ruined the experience and I doubt we will tune in for your show again. If you learn anything, show the parade, not the commentators. Show the floats and the bands and the performers. Give the viewers the experience of being there. It is not necessary to have someone talking the entire time. More parade; less talking.
Jeffrey Urbik

I agree with all the negative comments. I recorded the parade (a total of 3 hours). In that time we saw approx. 45 mins of actually dealing with the parade. They kept breaking for commercials (I understand you need to have commercials, but how about displaying them over the parade and keeping the focus on the parade?) the endless vacuous banter while we watched the top of the parade go by us. I think they spliced what they covered of the parade out of sequence. things I saw turn the corner away from the camera were recycled as if they were approaching. Shame on you CBS!!!!.

Disappointed Ken

I salute you CBS for absolutely ruining Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade. Your selection of broadcasters was possibly the worst selection you could have ever made… Way to trash your name by employing crappy trashy hosts.

Disappointed in Seattle

Please show the parade, this is ridiculous. More parade please. Floats bands etc.

C. Carter

I look forward to watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade every year and was highly disappointed with the coverage provided by CBS. I agree with all the other comments I read. There was no coverage of the parade. It was just a promotion of CBS with a captive audience that was hoping for a glimpse of the parade. Also, the hosts were annoying! I am glad that NBC is also providing coverage, and they are actually showing the parade the way it was meant to be seen. Thanks NBC!
Andrew

The female cohost made an implied homophobic remark about there being problems with someone’s boy liking “Pretty Kitty”. I just had to explain to a bunch of kids why the idiotic hostess didn’t mean there would be problems about a boy liking “Pretty Kitty.” Can’t we find more intelligent and thoughtful hosts!
Cannot Be Serious (CBS)

Absolutely the worst commentators ever. If I wanted to watch brainless boobs on tv then I would go to pay per view instead of CBS. I apologize to whatever qualified good commentator that is out of work because of these morons. (I am referring to CBS execs)
“Aunt Sam” sandra Morris

I was sooo very shocked when “Uncle Sam” was going by at commercial break that he was not shown when they came back from commercial recorded!! I guess the true PATRIOTS are few and far between. With America in the shape it is now we need MORE not less people to show their patriotism!!

Johnny

News coverage on the Macy’s Parade 2011 was HORRIBLE!!
Watch the entire Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on youtube, COMMERCIAL FREE.
Watch it Full Screen in HD 720p or 1080p,

http://www.youtube.com/user/jhn170

Y U SO MEAN, CBS???

…This coverage RUINED my mothers thanksgiving morning. RUINED IT. thanks, New York. thanks.
RE Massey

Parade coverage worst ever for CBS.
What parade?
Two lame nincompoops yacking and killing time.
Kevin Frazier and Christine McLarty are terrible hosts.
One Turkey in your oven and two on TV.
WORST COVERAGE EVER.
D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R.

GB

I did not realize why I thought it was so bad – the coverage of the Parade in my beloved city. I switched between 2 channels and one was worse than the other. Nobody has anything good to say so far. i assume the chick they are talking about had like 3 costume changes.

Christine

This is horrible. I watch the parade every year and I have never seen commentators who are more annoying, especially Christina. If I never see her over-make-upped face again, it’ll be too soon. She has an incessant need to hear herself talk, and it’s inane drivel. Don’t quit your day job.

Robin

I totally agree with you. I had to turn the channel because Christina was ruining the parade for me. She was so self-absorbed, everything was about her. The broadcast and hosts should be about the parade and the holiday, not themselves. Please get a different host next year and I might watch.

Laura M

TOTALLY AGREE!! And how many hats do we have to see her in.

Jos card

Switch to Chicago and WGN. They are actually showing a real parade with bands and balloons. I watched coverage of the local prade in Norfolk rather than this terrible showing on Cbs.
Suzanne

At least wish that the brunette (Christine??) would quit talking over the guy every time he tries to say something…tell her it’s “OK” to have a half-second of silence. We don’t need to hear her talk straight through the entire parade. Listen to each other. She doesn’t have to be the “Queen Bee”.

Dino

This is partially the Director’s fault… They have ear pieces to communicate with the director… If they hire untrained airt alent (Christina), they need to be giving her tips and guiding her along. This can be hard to do without making the air talent feel uncomfortable… but is this, case something really had to be done. She became a big negative distraction from an otherwise mediocre parade coverage

Barbara

This is the worst coverage I have ever seen. The woman commentator continually buts in and never lets the male finish a sentence. TERRIBLE!!!!
Cathy Peyton

Very poorly done, CBS!!! Interview after interview after interview after interview – this is just a talkshow with a balloons going by in the background. No bands, no performances! How disappointing . THe Thanksgiving Parade is one of my favorite parts of my favorite holiday. This is very poor coverage of something that should be a high point for the family.
Eve K

Not impressed with the parade coverage this year. Very little of the parade at all and the commentators on CBS are terrible. What happened to seeing the bands and the Broadway show excerpts?
Ray Harrison

Your coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was a sham. It has degenerated into nothing more than the CBS Infomercial Parade. This morning I am reminded again why I no longer watch network television –

We don’t want to listen to the mindless chatter of your imbecilic hosts. We don’t want to see rock concerts. We don’t want to see underwear models. We don’t want to see cartoons. We don’t want to listen to interviews with has-been entertainers.

We tuned in to see the parade.

Patty

WELL STATED!!! AND thank you very much for expressing my opinion as well!! I don’t know who the female host is, but she did her very best to interrupt her male co-host at every turn in their mindless and empty chatter. She was doing her very best to be noticed. I will say, he at least tried to give facts on the floats, etc…. but she was downright rude and very nasty.

Ben

Where’s the AFLAC duck?
Jill Harrison

This is pathetic. I want to see the parade – not the commentators blathering on pimping for CBS and whomever has paid for promotional time on your broadcast. Turn the cameras onto the parade — I want to see and hear the bands and other participants. CBS – I agree with the other comments — you’ve turned the parade into just another opportunity to promote yourselves. I’m disgusted.
Fred Gould

OK, after years of trying to understand why so many of my friends and family do NOT watch the parade, when it’s been my dream to GO there since I was a kid over 50 yrs ago. Well, I give up ……….. there’s almost no parade on TV any more!!!!!! Never thought I’d do this, but I’ve turned it OFF!!! So, networks, if your self-promotion is more important …….. have at it!! Macy’s, can’t you do something about this???
Dino

They CBS coverage is not perfect, but it’s much better than NBC’s no stop stream of self promotion,musical numbers and product placement wiith parade ala carte. The one thing NBC has over CBS coverage is the commentators. On CBS, Christina is not good at ad lib so she is completely glued to her script. Because of this, she is unable to banter back and forth with her guests and co-host. She is constantly speaking at the same time as someone else and at times seems to resent Kevin’s commentary
BOBBIE

STOP THE USELESS TALKING!!! WE CAN SEE THE BALLOONS WE DON’T
NEED YOU TO TALK ABOUT THEM.

SHOW ME THE BANDS!! LET US HEAR THE BANDS!! LET US SEE THE BANDS
UP CLOSE!!

WE DON’T NEED TO SEE A MUSICAL, OR A MUSIC STAR SINGING, OR
BROADWAY STAR. THIS IS A PARADE, SHOW US THE PARADE!!!!!!!!

Candace

What’s the point of televising a parade if the parade is not shown?! Less talking, more parade please!

patsy

I am having a hard time folllowing the parade because the commentators are not working together. The female is totally talking over her male counterpart and showing no respect or togetherness.
Jessica B

Hey what is the twitter thing to sent pictures to them?
Becky Rinehart

Coverage of the PARADE? Where? Both CBS and NBC SUCK. All we see are a bunch of idiots dancing and singing. We switched to watch the Chicago parade where you actually SEE a PARADE. KIDS MARCHING< BALLOONS<FLOATS! REMEMBER THOSE???? Not seeing it on the other parade because NBC AND CBS are too busy promoting their own interests. What a disappointment for all of us who traditionally sit and watch the parade every year.

Keri

This parade is terrbile!!!!!!! I woke my boyfriend up stressing the importance of this tradition for me… he had never seen it before… and guess what it is horrible… I don’t want to see super models being interviewed or chefs or even the hosts,…. people watch it to see the floats and performances which usualyl are shown in front of MACY’s… CBS …not a very good job.. AT ALL!!!!! UGH GET THAT CHEF OFF… where are the bands…. sheesh….

Tori

What is the name of that chef that was on the tv for the parade or how do I find the pumpkin pie recipe?
Chris R. Armstrong

This parade coverage sucks. Cbs has done a terrible and someone should get fired. Let me say that again this sucks.