Photos from Our Front Row View at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The energy was electric even though the weather was a drag. Here's some photos of our front row seat to the big event, enjoy!
Last Thursday, two things happened: it rained on our parade, and we somehow managed to have a great time anyway.
Since our baby was still too young to fly, we decided to stick around New York for Thanksgiving instead of traveling to visit family. Two of our close friends made the same call, so we made plans to celebrate the holidays together.
Funny enough, none of us had kitchens big enough to handle a proper Thanksgiving feast, so we did the unthinkable and ordered it all from Whole Foods (I know, I know). The kicker? It was probably one of the best turkeys we’ve ever had, go figure.
Anyway, since we were all sticking around the city, we figured we might as well go all-out with the holiday festivities. First up: the famous balloon inflation the day before the parade. We originally planned to see the balloons around 1pm but, true to form, ran a bit behind (we’re on baby time here!). Rather than rush into the line frazzled, we opted for a quick reset at our apartment—(read: cheese and wine). It was the perfect reset.
We made our way to the line around 4pm and after winding through the lines and past the dividers for about an hour, we caught our first glimpse of the monolithic balloons. Just like last year, it was totally worth it. Afterward, we picked up a pie and made our way back to our apartment for a quick dinner before calling it an early night.
The Day of the Parade
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade attracts 3 million spectators a year (not to mention the 31 million viewers who catch it on TV), so a sturdy game plan was in order. We decided to meet outside our apartment at 6:30 am (we live two blocks from the start of the parade) and head over together.
Like everyone else, we spent most of the evening glued to our phones, nervously checking the forecast before making a commitment to power through rain or shine. Well, come morning, between the dreary weather and early wake up call, it was clear our friends weren’t getting up anytime soon.
Turns out Will and I had unknowingly been preparing for this exact moment for the past three months (midnight feedings are not for the faint of heart, or frankly - the sane). We bundled up the baby and made our way over — determined to enjoy the morning despite the weather.
I’d read online that umbrellas weren’t allowed at the parade, so we ran out of the house with rain-proof jackets and a prayer. It was pouring!!! I was disappointed to see so many people with umbrellas because it blocked the view (and the umbrellas were spilling over on those of us that stuck with rain jackets and ponchos).
Eh, whatever. At that point, we were in it for the experience and we were going to make this work.
We tucked the baby under layers of jackets and did our best to shield her from the drizzle. Despite the weather, there was an undeniable sense of camaraderie (misery loves company!)—everyone was in the same boat: dodging stray confetti and craning their necks to catch glimpses of the balloons drifting overhead.
Even with the rain, the parade was so much fun to experience in person. The energy was electric, truly!
We didn’t stay for the whole parade (baby time) but we were glad we made the effort. The balloons were so impressive and the whole morning felt special in a way I didn’t expect. And as we walked back to our apartment, soaked but happy, we mulled over ways to get the family out to NYC next year so we wouldn’t have to miss the next parade.
All in all, I think catching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person is an iconic NYC experience everyone should make an effort to see at least once. It’s something we’d do again in a heartbeat!
Cheers!
Antonina
I have been loving your substack. Don't ever stop blogging! Living vicariously through your fun NYC lifestyle brings me so much joy.🥲🙈
My family was in NYC for the week of Thanksgiving. I found your post from last year (I think) and followed your advice for attending the parade. We did Central Park West and it was perfect, despite the weather. Happy to see you braved it this year as well! The waiting in the cold rain for a couple hours was worth it in the end. :-)