November 22, 2006

Thanksgiving weekend guide for New York City '06

The long Thanksgiving weekend unofficially starts today, with air and road gridlock taking hold and balloon inflation for the 80th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade set to begin today at 3 p.m. on the Upper West Side.

This year's parade, which begins at 9 a.m. on Thursday, will feature four new balloons: Flying Ace Snoopy, Pikachu with Poke-Ball, Macy's 80th Anniversary Hot Air Balloon and the Energizer Bunny Balloonicle.

The worry is that it may again be marred by rain and wind. Last year, a 15 mile-per-hour wind caused the rope for the M&M balloon to get tangled on a Times Square lamppost, causing part of it to snap off and fall on two sisters watching the parade. (The girls, whose parents opted not to sue, are VIP guests of Macy's this year.)

New rules are in place to prevent another accident, and Bloomberg News reports the balloons may also fly lower to give handlers more control.

If winds exceed 23 miles per hour, the big balloons will be grounded. The current forecast calls for winds in the 15 to 20 mph range with gusts to 25 mph.

But the balloons aren't the only feature of the parade. There are a dozen marching bands, many floats, clowns, and other performers including the Harlem Globetrotters, the NYC Ballet and the Hung Sheng Lion Dance Theatre. Cast members from several Broadway shows -- including "A Chorus Line" and "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical" -- will also take part in the festivities, according to Playbill.

The Thanksgiving Day parade route: Stepping off from 77th Street and Central Park West, the parade will head south along Central Park West, through Columbus Circle, down Broadway, through Times Square and down to Macy's at Herald Square where it turns onto 34th Street and ends at 7th Avenue.

Where to watch the parade: You can see it from the park side of Central Park West from 70th to 65th Street only, but from 70th down to Columbus Circle if you're on the west side of the street. At Columbus Circle, the public is allowed on the west side of the street. Once it hits Broadway, you're allowed just about anywhere between 58th and 38th streets, but there is no public access between 38th and 34th. As the parade turns in front of Macy's, map, there will be limited public access on the south side of 34th from Broadway to 7th Avenue.

After the parade ends at noon, you'll be able to see the balloon deflation on side streets near the parade as well.

Wednesday's balloon inflation runs from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. near the American Museum of Natural History. Streets will be closed to traffic to make way for the crowds to queue up and see the balloons inflated between 77th and 81st streets.

Other resources:

Full list of parade participants (Macy's)
Broadway's special holiday schedule (Playbill)
Museum holiday hours (Gothamist)
5M Turkey Trot (Prospect Park Track Club)
Black Friday news feed (Consumerist)
More Black Friday shopping links (Paul Katcher)

Earlier: TKTS snapshot: pre-Thanksgiving edition
Saks' snowflakes top holiday window displays - Post
Thanksgiving also comes in chocolate
Wired pop-up store: PS3, Wii, free calls anywhere
Holiday gridlock alerts start today
Rockefeller Center tree in place, lighting on Nov. 29
Where to eat on Thanksgiving in New York
'Grinch' musical opens on Broadway for holidays
Flying pig butts in Jersey can only mean one thing
New Thanksgiving Day Parade rules to cut wind threat
Holiday splurge: Thanksgiving Day Parade Skybox
Fifth Avenue webcam turned off 'at request of NBC'
Oh the things you'll see at Macy's basement bar

November 22, 2006 08:46 AM in Broadway, Cheap Stuff, Kids, Midtown, Sightsology, Upper West Side

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