Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Event Information
Parade Participants
The Great
Balloon Blowup
Where
to View the Parade
Thursday November 26 2009 | 9:00A to
12:00N
New Route For 2010
Central Park West from 77th Street
south to Columbus Circle
Central Park South east from Columbus Circle to 7th
Avenue
7th Avenue south to 42nd Street
42 Street east to 6th Avenue
6th Avenue south to 34th Street
34th Street from 6th Avenue west
to 7th Avenue
Directions Take any subway to any stop
between 42nd Street and 72nd Street | Viewing is restricted in the
performance area between 34th & 38th Streets, so the 34th
Street subway stops will not get you anywhere fast
Do Not Drive!
More info 212-494-4495 | Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade
Broadcast WNBC Ch 4 | 9:00A to 12:00N
Participants
Marching Bands Adair County High
School Marching Band, KY | Choctawhatchee Style Marchers, FL |
East Brooklyn Soul Tigers Marching Band, NY | Franklin Regional
High School Band, PA | Harrison High School Marching Band, GA |
Macy's Great American Marching Band | Morgantown High School Red
& Blue Marching Band, WV | New York Police Department Marching
Band, NY | Pickerington Marching Tigers, OH | Pittsburg High
School Pirates Marching Show Band, CA | The Ballou Majestic
Marching Knights, DC | Towson University Tiger Marching Band, MD
Performers & Celebrities Alan
Cumming | Alvin Ailey Children's Company | Colonial Williamsburg
Fifes & Drum | Fred Hill Brief Case Drill Team | Heartbeat Jump
Rope Team | Jane Krakowski | Mike Miller Dancers | Polynesian
Dance Ensemble | Special Needs Color Guard of America | US
Twirling All Stars | More to be announced...
From Broadway the casts of
Billy Elliott,
Bye Bye
Birdie,
Hair and
Shrek
Balloons Abby Cadabby | Buzz
Lightyear | Dora the Explorer | Energizer Bunny | Horton the
Elephant | Kermit the Frog | Pikachu | Pillsbury Dough Boy |
Pokeball | Ronald McDonald | Sailor Mickey | Shrek | Smurf |
Snoopy the Flying Ace | Spider-Man | SpongeBob SquarePants |
Super Hello Kitty
Floats 123 Sesame | Big Apple |
Bountiful Harvest Cornucopia | Bridge to the Future | Care Bears
| Castle of Dreams | CeleBEARation Clock Tower | Jolly Polly
Pirate Ship | M & M's on Broadway | Marion Carol Showboat | Mike
Miller Pep Rally | Musical Innovation Bigger Then Life | Shine
On | Smurf Mushroom | Snoopy's Dog House | True Spirit of
Thanksgiving | Winter Wonderland in Central Park | Woodland
Family Gathering | Tom Turkey | Santa's Workshp | and it's all followed, of course, by Santa & Mrs Claus
Clowns Simply bunches and bunches
of clowns: Baseball Clowns | Class Clowns | Funny Business
Clowns | Holiday Clowns | Santa's Toy Box Clowns | Sleepy Clowns
| And many more... And a Whole
Bunch More Big Apple Circus | Camp Broadway |
McDonald's Big Red Shoe Car | New York Police Department Motorcycle & Mounted
Units | Planters Nut Mobile
The Great Balloon Blowup
Wednesday November 25 2009 | 3:00P
to 10:00P
Grab a cup of hot chocolate and
stop by the Upper West Side the night before to watch your
favorite characters come to life. The fantastic balloons rise from
the streets surrounding the Museum of Natural History (77th to
81st Streets | between Central Park West & Columbus Avenues).
You enter at 77th and Columbus, wind your way around the big block,
and exit the area at 81st Street. The work starts early but most of the characters don't start to
take shape until about 8:00P, and many are still rising in
the wee morning hours. Keep in mind that it's almost always cold
so be sure to dress warmly. And hey, it looks like the restroom facilities are
getting better. According the folks at Macy's "these
luxurious loos on wheels have all of the comforts of home,
including hardwood floors, wallpaper and fully functional
sinks."
View the
Parade
Note The now-usual (sorry to say)
security procedures are in effect: no backpacks, oversized bags,
coolers and such allowed and everybody is subject to search
We think the best viewing is just
south of the beginning of the route, from 70th Street to around
60th Street along Central Park West is neat. As the
contingents start on their trek, everybody is excited and eager to
strut their stuff. This is the best spot if you don't have a lot
of time, the parade should completely pass by in about 90 minutes
Things get a bit confusing and
crowded in Columbus Circle area with camera platforms and
bleachers (not open to the public). Any areas available for
viewing are a bit further away from the marchers
Can't be sure as yet, but with
the route now turning east at Columbus Circle along Central
Park South, this might not be a bad place for viewing
7th Avenue, a bit wider than
Broadway, also comes with wider sidewalks. The stretch down to
42nd Street might make for a comfortable viewing area. Then
again, amazing, neck-straining views of the giant
balloons will make any kid's day
We imagine that in the past
anything from 42nd
Street and south along the parade route will be much more crowded
and with many
of the sidewalk viewers turned away from the performance area in
Herald Square, restricted from 34th to 38th Streets
We tried the very end of the parade
route one year, 34th Street from 6th to 7th Avenue and it
doesn't have quite the same excitement. Tired and cold marchers
make the turn for home after their time on television and it is
very, very crowded -- why does everyone think they can watch at
Herald Square? If this is your only option approach from the 7th
Avenue side, it's almost impossible to get through from 6th Avenue
One of our
frequently asked questions is "How does my group participate
in the Thanksgiving Day parade?" Just drop a line to: Band
Selection Committee, Macy's
Annual Events, 16th Floor, 151 W 34th Street, New
York, NY, 10001. Or download the
2011
Macy's Parade Performance Group Application and
Marching Band Application forms online (pdf files)
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