You will find more New Yorkers at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade than you will at the NYE Times Square ball drop…but that’s not saying much. If you are in NYC for Thanksgiving and make a list of pros and cons for actually attending the parade…you’ll end up staying home in your pajamas. That’s 100% my plan this year!
The Pros and Cons of Attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Starting with CONS:
- It’s cold!
- Waking up at 5AM is AWFUL!
- You’ll need to pee!
- Or be dehydrated!
- The view on the street isn’t great!
- You’ll never catch a hint of a performance!
- There are always too many clowns!
- You’ve never even heard of the so-called celebrities on the floats these!
- Fuck, that makes you feel old!
- So do all the little kids squirming next to you complaining they are cold and need to pee!
- When will you have time to cook the turkey?
- It looks so much better on TV!
- Being cozy in your pjs is ALWAYS better than shivering in long underwear under jeans!
- The cheerleaders from Idaho in their skimpy outfits will make you feel cold on their behalf!
- Oh right, Macy’s is the epitome of shitty corporate America!
- The realization the whole thing is just one giant fucking advertisement.
- DID I MENTION IT’S COLD?
Pros?
- There are no commercial breaks.
- No awkward banter and stupid jokes of the parade hosts.
- You get to say you were there.
- You lived/survived it.
- No FOMO.
- Hella pictures to prove it.
- Way more Instagram likes than everyone else’s basic #foodporn feasts.
- Seeing your coworker’s uncle’s baby sitter who’s in a marching band from Milwaukee.
- A story to share for many Thanksgivings to come.
- Experiencing an ultimate New York cliché.
I went to the parade once and I’m glad I did! But yeah…I have no intention of ever going again. It’s much better as a background to breakfast than an event you wait hours to fully experience.
If you’re planning to make the parade pilgrimage (pun intended) read about my experience: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Up Close and In Person! And check out my subsequent Tips for the Attending Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2015.
Have you ever been to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade? Think you’d go if you were in NYC for the holiday? Is it a tradition to have it on the TV in your household?
I’m so glad I read your blog for tips… but when I went, I did everything wrong! I went late, I saw only part of it, and I was standing WAAAAAY far away, but I loved it. I’m seriously planning on going again next year, I enjoyed it so much! It’s nice to keep it low-key and just show up whenever you want, and see however much you see. Glad I went!