Parade-goers need to arrive early to find a good place to watch the parade. Credit: Getty Images
More than 3.5 million spectators are expected to take over city streets this Thursday for the 87thannual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Though the celebration doesn’t kick off until 9 a.m., parade-goers are known to start staking out spots at 6 a.m. along the more than two-mile route.
Here is a breakdown of the parade route:
It starts at 77thStreet and Central Park West.
It will travel down to Columbus Circle and turn onto Central Park South.
It will then turn onto Sixth Avenue and march all the way down to 34thStreet.
It makes its final turn west on 34thStreet and ends at Seventh Avenue in front of Macy’s Herald Square.
So where can you catch the best glimpse of the colorful balloons?
If you’re willing to get there early, the area along Central Park West where the route begins offers great views. This is where the earliest campers go.
According to Macy’s, the area around Columbus Circle and Central Park South or somewhere along Sixth Avenue between 38thand 59th streets also have great views.
The area between 34thand 38th streets is closed to the general public due to the national television broadcast, so parade-goers are strongly encouraged to avoid those streets.
For those who want to avoid the parade crowd but still see want to try to see SpongeBob and Snoopy, the annual balloon inflation will take place between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesday along Central Park West Between 77thand 81st streets.
