Quick answer: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ran from 8:30am to noon on Thursday, November 27, 2025, stepping off at West 77th Street and Central Park West and ending at Herald Square, according to Time Out New York. Arrive very early wherever you stand.
The best spot depends on whether you want the opening of the parade, the turn through Midtown or the finish at the store. The balloon inflation the day before is a separate outing with its own queue. This guide sits within our wider look at annual events in new york city.
How to choose a viewing spot
Pick your spot by what you most want to see, then plan your arrival around it. Every segment of the route is public viewing, so the real trade-off is between the start, the middle and the finish rather than between “good” and “bad” streets.
- Arrival time matters more than location. Time Out New York’s advice is to get to the route very early to stake out a spot, and that applies to every segment.
- Start of the route. Choose Central Park West if you want to see the parade as it begins and want to combine it with the museum-area balloon inflation the day before.
- Middle of the route. Columbus Circle, Central Park South and Sixth Avenue suit viewers who want to watch the parade change direction on its way into Midtown.
- End of the route. Herald Square suits anyone who wants the finish outside Macy’s flagship, the store the parade is named for.
| Route segment | Where it falls on the 2025 route | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Central Park West | The parade kicks off at West 77th Street and Central Park West | Suits those who want the parade as it steps off. It is also the neighbourhood of the balloon inflation, so the two events combine easily. |
| Columbus Circle and Central Park South | The route winds around Columbus Circle and onto Central Park South | A middle option for viewers who want to see the parade turn away from the park edge. |
| Sixth Avenue | The route continues along Sixth Avenue after Central Park South | The link between the park end and the finish. Pick it if you want to be in Midtown rather than at either end. |
| Herald Square | The parade files down Sixth Avenue to Macy’s Herald Square | Suits those who want the end of the route at the store itself. |
Route order and the arrive-early advice follow Time Out New York’s 2025 parade guide.
Route and start time
The 2025 route began at West 77th Street and Central Park West, moved through Columbus Circle onto Central Park South and Sixth Avenue, and finished at Macy’s Herald Square. Time Out New York describes the parade as 2.5 miles of public viewing, which is long enough that you can choose a segment instead of crowding into one corner.
The 2025 broadcast and street schedule ran from 8:30am to noon, per Time Out New York. Start times have not been identical every year. Macy’s own 2019 press release, republished by New York LED, gave the 2019 start as 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 28. Check the current year’s announced time before you set an alarm, and plan to be in position well ahead of it.
Comparing Central Park West, Midtown and Herald Square
Central Park West
Central Park West is where the 2025 parade began, at West 77th Street. It is the natural choice if the balloons are the draw, because the inflation the evening before happens in the same blocks. Walking the area on Wednesday also shows you which side streets lead to the route, which helps when you return on Thursday morning.
Columbus Circle, Central Park South and Sixth Avenue
These stretches make up the middle of the route. They suit viewers who prefer a Midtown setting to the park edge and who are comfortable choosing a place along a longer corridor. Because Sixth Avenue leads straight into the finish, this segment also works as a fallback if the start area looks full when you arrive.
Herald Square
Herald Square is the route’s end and the parade’s destination, at Macy’s Herald Square. It is a good pick for viewers who want the finale at the store and who would rather see the parade arrive than watch it depart. Marching bands and performers pass through the end area as the parade completes its run.
Balloon inflation as a separate plan
The balloon inflation is a different event from the parade and needs its own plan. In 2025 it ran on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, November 26, from 1-6pm on the Upper West Side, and it was free and open to the public, according to Time Out New York.
- Where it happens. The balloons are usually inflated around the American Museum of Natural History, in the blocks between 77th and 81st Streets, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.
- Where to join the queue. You can enter the line at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue.
- What to expect. Be prepared for a very long line. Go early in the afternoon window rather than near its close if you want to see as much as possible.
- How it compares with the parade. The inflation is a close-up look at balloons being readied, with no marching, floats or broadcast. The parade is the full spectacle in motion.
The same neighbourhood was the inflation site in earlier years. Macy’s 2019 release, carried by New York LED, placed it along the blocks surrounding the Museum of Natural History by Central Park the day before the parade. If you cannot manage the queue, you lose nothing on parade day, since the balloons still appear on Thursday.
What is in the lineup
Macy’s own figures from the 2019 parade show the scale. The release listed 16 giant character balloons, 40 novelty and heritage balloons and 26 floats, with more than 8,000 volunteers helping to run the event. The same release cited more than 3.5 million spectators in New York City.
Use those numbers as a guide to scale, not as this year’s lineup. For a viewer, the point is practical: a parade with this many balloons, floats and volunteers takes time to pass any one spot, so you do not need to be at the very front to see it. The figures come from Macy’s 2019 press release as republished by New York LED.
Attending without a ticket
Yes, you can attend the parade without a ticket. The route offers public viewing along its length, and the balloon inflation is free and open to the public, though it carries a long queue. The cost of a free spot is time: Time Out New York’s advice to arrive very early is the main requirement.
If you would rather not stand outside, the parade is also broadcast. See the FAQ below for where to watch from home.
Planning your day and handling problems
A short order of operations keeps the day simple.
- Choose a segment. Decide between the start, the middle and the finish using the table above.
- Confirm the start time. Use the schedule announced for the current year, since the 2019 and 2025 start times differed.
- Decide on the inflation. Join the queue at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue on Wednesday if you want to see the balloons up close.
- Arrive very early. Allow extra time to reach the route on a holiday morning.
- Check a forecast before you leave. You will be standing outdoors, so dress for the conditions rather than the plan.
- If the start area looks full. Move along the route toward Columbus Circle or Sixth Avenue instead of waiting for gaps.
- If the inflation queue is too long. Skip it. The balloons still appear on the route the next morning.
- If you cannot reach the route. Watch the broadcast instead.
If you are building a longer visit around the season, our guides to new year’s eve in times square and christmas in new york city cover what comes after Thanksgiving week.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I watch the parade if I am not on the route?
NBC broadcast the 2025 parade live from 8:30am to noon, and it also streamed on Peacock, per Time Out New York.
How large is the crowd?
Macy’s 2019 release cited more than 3.5 million spectators in New York City and more than 50 million television viewers nationwide, as published by New York LED. East Carolina University’s announcement cites about 3.5 million on the streets, which matches.
Which groups have been announced for upcoming parades?
East Carolina University says its Marching Pirates will perform in the 101st parade in 2027, according to the university’s news release.
