November 12, 2026 · Apex Event Rides
The 2026 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the 100th, so expect even bigger crowds than usual on the Upper West Side and in Midtown. Here is what to know to get a good spot, and how to get there and away when half of Manhattan's streets are closed.
Date, time and route
- When: Thursday, November 26, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to about noon.
- Start: West 77th Street and Central Park West.
- Route: south on Central Park West to Columbus Circle, east along Central Park South, then down Sixth Avenue.
- Finish: Macy's Herald Square at West 34th Street and Seventh Avenue, about 2.5 miles from the start. The first floats reach Herald Square around 10:30 a.m. and Santa arrives at the end, around noon.
Where to watch
- Central Park West, 61st to 75th Streets: the 60s and low 70s are usually less crowded.
- Sixth Avenue, 38th to 59th Streets: 42nd to 54th Streets is the busiest stretch.
- No public viewing at the Columbus Circle turn or between 34th and 38th Streets, where the TV broadcast is filmed.
- Accessible viewing: AHRC New York City runs an accessible viewing area; registration in advance is required.
When to arrive
For a spot at the front, aim to be there by 5:30 to 6 a.m.; some people arrive from 5 a.m. Overnight camping is not allowed. Dress for standing still outside for several hours.
Balloon inflation the day before
On Wednesday, November 25, from 1 to 6 p.m., you can watch the giant balloons being inflated around the American Museum of Natural History. The entrance is at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue, the viewing route runs from West 77th to West 81st Streets, and lines start forming around noon. It is a good option with young children who will not manage a 6 a.m. start.
Getting there
By subway: the B and C station at 72nd Street and Central Park West gets extremely congested; the 1, 2 and 3 to 72nd Street and Broadway is a better choice for the Central Park West end of the route.
By car: streets on and around the route close to traffic early in the morning, and crossing the route by car is not possible until it reopens after the parade. Agree a drop-off point a few blocks from the route on the side you plan to watch from, and walk the rest. For the trip home, pick a meeting corner well away from the route and expect slow traffic in Midtown until early afternoon.
Thanksgiving travel
The days around Thanksgiving are among the busiest of the year at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark, and on the roads out to Long Island and Westchester for family dinners. Book airport transfers and dinner rides early. A chauffeur booked by the hour can take the family to the parade in the morning and on to dinner later.
Booking with Apex Event Rides
Tell us where you are starting, where you want to watch and how many people are coming, and we will plan the drop-off and pickup around the closures, with sedans for up to 4 and SUVs for up to 6. See our holiday season services or request a quote.
Route, times and viewing areas for 2026 as published ahead of the parade (Afar, November 2026). Check Macy's and NYC DOT travel advisories before you go, as details can change.
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