Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in short

When

Thursday, 26 November 2026 (expected, not yet confirmed by the organiser)

Where

Central Park West to Herald Square, New York City, United States, about 7 km from the centre

Free time

Gaps of two to four hours between screenings or shows, and whole days for companions.

Best base

Midtown West and Chelsea: Walk to Times Square, Broadway and the High Line.

Getting there

JFK has the AirTrain to the subway and LIRR (45 to 60 minutes to Midtown).

Weather

In November, New York City temperatures average about 10°C, with roughly 101 mm of rain in the month. Expect about 9 h 33 min of daylight.

Top things to do

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; Top of the Rock or Summit One Vanderbilt; Central Park bike or pedicab tour

Know before you go

• Balloon inflation on the evening before, near the American Museum of Natural History, is free to watch.

Weather during Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

In November, New York City temperatures average about 10°C, with roughly 101 mm of rain in the month. Expect about 9 h 33 min of daylight.

What to pack

• A warm layer for the evenings.
• A rain jacket or umbrella: it rains often in this month.
• Comfortable walking shoes and a small day bag.

Monthly averages for 2001 to 2025 from NASA POWER. Check the forecast a few days before you travel.

Airport to Central Park West to Herald Square

JFK has the AirTrain to the subway and LIRR (45 to 60 minutes to Midtown). LaGuardia has the Q70 bus to the subway. Newark (EWR) has AirTrain to NJ Transit trains to Penn Station in 30 minutes.

Subway to 59 St-Columbus Circle; arrive by 6:30 am for a spot.

Public transport directions to Central Park West to Herald Square

Where to stay by budget

Three hotels we would book

• Budget: Pod Times Square
• Mid-range: Arlo NoMad
• Splurge: The Plaza

Links search the nights from 25 November to 27 November. Event weekends sell out early and prices rise as the date gets closer: book a cancellable room as soon as you know you are going.

Day plans for the free hours

Built around the usual festival stay schedule for Thursday, 26 November 2026. Session times change: check the official timetable and move the blocks around.

Family-friendly picks

• American Museum of Natural History.
• Bronx Zoo.
• Intrepid Museum.

Evening and day-trip tours

After dark

• Rooftop bars in Midtown, jazz in the Village.

Ten tours worth booking for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Event weeks sell out. Book tours with free cancellation as soon as the session times are published.

Where to eat

• Katz's Delicatessen Pastrami
• Joe's Pizza Classic slice
• Russ and Daughters Bagels and lox
• Chelsea Market Food hall
• Xi'an Famous Foods Hand-pulled noodles
• Los Tacos No. 1 Tacos
• Peter Luger Steakhouse in Williamsburg
• Levain Bakery Giant cookies

Reserve dinner for the nights around the event: restaurants near the venue fill up days ahead.

Rainy-day backups

• The Met.
• MoMA.
• Grand Central Market and the New York Public Library.

Getting around on event days

• Subway runs 24 hours; OMNY contactless with a weekly cap.
• Arthur Ashe Stadium: 7 train or LIRR to Mets-Willets Point.
• Uber and taxis are slow in Midtown traffic.

Day trips from New York City

• Hudson Valley: 1.5 hours
• Philadelphia: 1.5 hours by Amtrak

Organiser of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? Add this guide to your website.

Questions people ask

How we put this guide together: dates come from the organiser's published calendar or, when not yet announced, from the event's usual pattern; weather from NASA POWER monthly averages 2001 to 2025; venue access and city tips from our own research. Last checked 2 November 2026. How we research.

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