Thanksgiving in New York 2011
New York City is always a special place to spend the holidays – from Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s you’ll find that New Yorkers are all about celebrating in style. So if you do decide to spend Thanksgiving in New York this year, here are the top things you should do…
Things to do in New York for Thanksgiving:
Pre-Thanksgiving activity…
1. Watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons get inflated!
This is a great thing to do if you’re in NYC early – the balloons will be blown up close to the American Museum of Natural History from 3 – 10pm on Wednesday, November 23.
2. Party at a Thanksgiving Eve Party!
Yes, there is actually such a thing – who would have thought? These events take place on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at many nightclubs and bars. Check online for who’s offering what kind of specials (drink specials, happy hours, etc.) to plan your route!
On the big day itself…
3. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The main event in New York City (and actually all around the country) on Thanksgiving is watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Everyone in the nation will be tuning in their TVs to watch it, so if you find yourself in the city, this is a must-do!!
2011 Thanksgiving Day Parade Route:
Begins on 77th Street and Central Park West
Ends on 7th Avenue and 34th Street
Best time to get there:
There will be tons of people. I mean tons! So you’ll want to get there early – most folks will start lining the route around 6:30 in the morning.
Best place to watch:
Get a hotel somewhere along the route and watch from your hotel room! Otherwise feel free to join the merriment in person at one of the public viewing areas which include:
- Central Park West
- Columbus Cirle
- 34th St
- 6th Ave
- 42nd St
- 7th Ave.
Post-Thanksgiving Day activities
4. Hit the Black Friday Sales in the City
Like every other city in the country, NYC will have plenty of Black Friday Sales! Black Friday is of course the day after Thanksgiving (This year it will be Friday, November 25) when retailers profits go “in the black”. It represents the day when stores mark down their merchandise with huge sales – it is considered the busiest shopping day of the year. If you’re in the city for the parade, you’ll want to grab a newspaper to see who’s having the biggest sales – many sales happen during specific hours, so be prepared to get up early and shop late!
5. Stay for the Rockefeller Tree Lighting
If you’re able to stay in the city just a week or so after thanksgiving, you’ll want to check out the Rockefeller Tree Lighting which will take place on Wednesay, November 30, 2011. It will be the 79th Annual Christmas Tree lighting and will take place from 7 – 9pm at Rockefeller Center.
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