1 · The short answer

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade runs on Thanksgiving morning, the fourth Thursday of November, from the Upper West Side down Central Park West and Sixth Avenue to the Macy's store at Herald Square. Giant balloons, floats and marching bands pass for about three hours, and the crowds start lining the route before dawn.

Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest travel weeks in the United States, and many visitors fly in for the parade and stay for the holiday shopping that follows. Ringo Light's United States plan covers New York and the rest of the country with unlimited data; it arrives by email and installs in one scan.

Ringo Light's United States plan covers the whole of United States: unlimited data at full speed, 2 weeks for $17.99 or 30 days for $22.99, nothing renews. The plan is at ringoesim.com/usa, and every brand's price for Las Vegas is compared on one day in Best eSIM for Las Vegas.

Get Ringo Light for New York, from $17.99.

Installed once, next to your own SIM. Your eSIM arrives by email in seconds.

Loading plans for this destination.

We sell data eSIMs for now to fund the full Ringo service. Ringo is self funded. Every plan bought here pays for the build of one plan that works everywhere.

2 · Where to stand

Central Park West, north of Columbus Circle, has the most room and the earliest crowds. Sixth Avenue in Midtown is busier with office towers on both sides. The stretch at Herald Square in front of Macy's is reserved for the broadcast and for ticket holders, so the public does not see the performances there.

Macy's publishes the route map and the start time in the weeks before the parade. Save it on your phone, and check the street closures, because crossing the route on the morning is only possible at a few points.

3 · The balloon inflation the day before

On the Wednesday afternoon and evening before Thanksgiving, the balloons are inflated on the streets around the American Museum of Natural History. The public can walk past along a set route; the queue to enter is long, and entry points are announced by Macy's and the city that week.

It is a good time for photos and much calmer than the parade itself. Check the entry times on your phone before you go, as they change from year to year.

4 · Signal, cold and the crowd

Along the route, hundreds of thousands of people share the same cells, and data slows when everyone posts at once. Agree a meeting street with your group in advance, and share live location before you arrive, not when you are already apart.

Late November mornings are cold. Batteries drain fast in the cold, so carry a power bank and keep the phone in an inside pocket between photos.

5 · Thanksgiving week in New York

Most shops, museums and restaurants change their hours on Thanksgiving Day itself, and many restaurants sell set Thanksgiving dinners that need booking. The holiday windows on Fifth Avenue and the Rockefeller Center tree arrive in the same weeks. Check opening hours on your phone before you plan the day.

6 · Around the Thanksgiving parade

The route, the night before and the store at the end of it.

Central Park West, Upper West Side
Upper West SideCentral Park WestThe first stretch of the route, along the park, where the crowds begin before dawn.✓Pin the cross street you plan to stand on and share it with your group the night before.Photo: TomH2323, CC BY 2.0
The balloon inflation, Around the American Museum of Natural History
Around the American Museum of Natural HistoryThe balloon inflationThe balloons take shape under nets on the Wednesday before the parade.✓Entry times and the public route are announced that week; check them before you go.Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
Macy's Herald Square, 34th Street and Broadway
34th Street and BroadwayMacy's Herald SquareThe flagship store at the end of the route, and the start of the holiday shopping season.✓The area in front of the store is reserved on parade morning; watch from further up the route.Photo: Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Central Park, Manhattan
ManhattanCentral ParkA walk through the park after the parade, as the crowds head home.✓The subway runs on a holiday schedule on Thanksgiving; check the MTA site.Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0

7 · Frequently asked questions

When is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?+
On Thanksgiving morning, the fourth Thursday of November. Macy's announces the start time and route map in the weeks before.
Where is the best place to watch the parade?+
Central Park West, north of Columbus Circle, has the most room. The section in front of Macy's at Herald Square is reserved for the broadcast.
Can I see the balloons being inflated?+
Yes, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving around the American Museum of Natural History, along a public route announced that week.
Will my phone work along the parade route?+
It works, but slows in the biggest crowds. Agree a meeting point and share live location before you arrive.
Which Ringo Light plan covers Thanksgiving in New York?+
The United States plan covers New York and the rest of the country, with unlimited data.

8 · Sources

Read next: best esim for new york · best esim for usa