Guide to enjoy the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving parade at home and the streets of New York: weather, closures, buses and access to the Subway
With mostly clear skies, the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade returns to the streets of New York this Thursday, broadcast live on national television, marking for many the start of the christmas seasonaccording to the American tradition.
This Thursday is shaping up without rain and the temperature forecast is 53F (12C) on the day and 44F (7C) at night, with 5-6 mph winds (high point for giant balloon parade, almost chaotic factor in 2019 event). Previously, in 2018 a cold record was set.
On Friday there is an 84% chance of precipitation during the day and 55% at night. Weather updates can be found here and on the website of the National Weather Service (NWS-NY).
This year The parade reaches its 96th edition, in full swing after the restrictions of the pandemic. From today the walkers can see the inflated balloons in the parking lot that is improvised in the vicinity of the AMNH.
At the logistical and security level, the habitual closure of streets, bus routes and some accesses to the Metro in Manhattan (Upper West Side and Midtown West), along the two and a half mile route from the Museum of Natural History (AMNH, 200 Central Park West, 80th St) down 6th Av to Macy’s headquarters (34th St between Broadway and 7th Av), where it ends with a musical show. At the closure, the surrounding streets up to 10 Av tend to become congested due to the so-called “relief” of the participating vehicles and people.
Con 16 giant balloons and dozens of smaller ones, hundreds of artists, Santa Claus, the legendary Radio City Rockettes and marching bands, the show airs nationwide on NBC y Peacock on Thursday from 9 am to 12 pm, in all time zones. Other TV stations also report it in their news programming.
To save tradition, in the midst of the 2020 pandemic, the famous giant helium balloons were tied to five vehicles instead of being transported by handlers, and the entire route was not used: all activity was limited to the Macy’s Herald Square area, where usually ends the event, in front of the world’s largest department store. And last year the number of parade participants was reduced by 20%.
In its long history since 1924, the parade had only been canceled during WWII on three occasions (1942 to 1944), due to the shortage of helium to inflate the balloons. More information about the event in your official page. For updated changes in bus routes and access to the Metro, see MTA.
- Photos: A preview of the giant balloons from the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving parade in New York
- Photos: Little-Seen “Before and After” of the Famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York
