Last year while living in the New York City area, my family and I had the amazing opportunity of attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person. I have watched the parade every year on Thanksgiving since I was a young child. I always dreamed of someday heading to New York for the holidays and watching the parade live. While my husband worked in the city for half a year last year, I finally got to realize my dream: My husband and I took our two young children into New York City on Thanksgiving morning to watch the parade along Central Park West!
My family and I were living in Dobbs Ferry at the time, so I made extensive plans to bring my young children into the city in the early morning to watch the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person. While researching tips for attending the parade, I learned that we needed to arrive to the parade route early and find a spot to stand near the start of the parade around 77th Street on Central Park West.
To get to the parade early, my family and I woke up at 5 o’clock in the morning and left our apartment before the sun had risen. We drove into New York City and parked in a garage on 100th Street. To ensure a parking spot, I had made reservations a few weeks beforehand. Parking in the city is expensive and often hard to come by, so definitely make a reservation unless you want to drive around for a while trying to find an empty spot. In addition, many streets may be blocked off in anticipation of the parade. My family and I walked over twenty-five blocks from the parking garage to the start of the parade!
When in New York City during the early hours of the morning with small children, I highly recommend babywearing. I usually wore my son when I ventured into the city with my two young children. I also used a stroller to keep my daughter safe and secure. For the parade, however, my husband wore our daughter on his back, and I wore my son on my front. Our shoulders ached by the time the parade ended, but the pain was well worth not losing either of our small children in the crowds! Plus both my kids could see the parade much easier.
My family and I arrived in the city at around 5:45 in the morning. The walk to the start of the parade route took about half an hour. Even after arriving before 6:30 in the morning, we were still four rows back in the crowd. If I were ever to attend the parade again, I would definitely get into the city even earlier and bring some folding chairs. The people who were sitting right at the edge of the parade barriers had the right idea! I would definitely arrive in the wee hours of the morning the get a front row seat!
Watching the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person on Thanksgiving was absolutely amazing! If my family and I are ever in New York City again during the holidays, I would definitely take my kiddos back again. In the future, I would arrive super early — like at 5:00 in the morning — and bring folding chairs so that I could sit and wait right in the front. I would also find a spot at the beginning of the parade route again. I am so excited to have actually have seen the parade live. My kids also had a wonderful time! Happy Thanksgiving!
Have you ever attended the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Image Credits
Tips for Attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Young Children 2016 Heather Johnson
Poppy and James at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Will and Heather at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Clowns at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Scrat at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Macy’s Star Balloons at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Macy’s Train at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Pilgrims at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Turkey at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Pumpkin Balloons at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Adventure Time with Finn and Jake at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Sesame Street Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Hello Kitty at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Diary of a Wimpy Kid at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Turkey Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Ronald McDonald at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
America Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Koolaid Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Panic! At the Disco and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Red Power Ranger at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Police Balloon at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Soaring at Sea Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Flamingo at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Sponge Bob Square Pants at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Pirate Booty Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Pirate Balloon at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Skylanders Eruptor at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Caterpillar Balloon at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Angry Bird at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Thomas the Tank Engine at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Paddington Bear at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Giraffe Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Hippopotamus at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Mr. Peanut at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Castle Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Toothless at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Chef Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Marching Band at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Fireman Balloon at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Big Apple Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Sinclair Oil Dino at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Hard Rock Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Mount Rushmore Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Pikachu at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Cookie Express Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Goose Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Elves at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Train at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Pillsbury Doughboy at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Bridge Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Virginia at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Elf Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Elf on the Shelf at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Mouse King at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Candy Cane Balloon at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Peanuts Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 1 2015 Heather Johnson
Peanuts Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2 2015 Heather Johnson
Peanuts Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 3 2015 Heather Johnson
Peanuts Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 4 2015 Heather Johnson
Peanuts Float at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 5 2015 Heather Johnson
Christmas Tree at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Woodstock and Snoopy at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Snoopy and Woodstock at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Elf Balloons at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Santa’s Sleigh at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
Santa Claus at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015 Heather Johnson
