Experience the Magic: 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (2025)
When: Thursday 27 November 2025 at 8:30 a.m. EST (reaching its grand finale at around noon)
Where: West 77th & CPW → Central Park South → 6th Ave → Herald Square
How long is this spectacle?
Roughly three hours of larger‑than‑life balloons dazzling floats marching bands celeb appearances—pure grand parade magic.
Route & Viewing — Pro Tips from Your Friendly Parade Insider
Best viewing turf? The Upper West Side—specifically West 61st to West 75th Streets along Central Park West. You’ll get that coveted parade‑starts‑here vibe with Central Park’s foliage as your backdrop.
Thinking Midtown? Allow me: avoid 34th–38th Streets unless you’re craving TV‑broadcast chaos—the live NBC staging happens there and the crowds overwhelm everything.
Hero Move: Arrive by 6 a.m.. Between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. is prime real estate. By 8 a.m. your best views will have been scooped up by the savvy early birds.
Balloon Inflation Party: Swing by the evening before—near the American Museum of Natural History from around noon to 6 p.m.—to catch the enormous balloons being puffed up. It’s a spectacle in itself (and a great warm‑up).
The Enchanting Line-Up (Subject to Change)
Here’s what’s locked in to float march and sashay their way into your hearts this year:
Giant Balloons
Marching Bands (Live Brass + Precision Pulse)
Alcorn State University Sounds of Dyn‑O‑Mite
Banda de Música La Primavera
L.D. Bell High School Blue Raider Band
Catawba Ridge High School Marching Band
Damien High School Spartan Regiment
Macy’s Great American Marching Band
NYPD Marching Band
Northern Arizona University Lumberjack Band
Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps
Temple University Diamond Marching Band
University of North Alabama Marching Band
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
West 77th Street & Central Park West, New York, United States
