As an Indian who has traveled to America for the first time, you can see and experience many new things. The American festivals are one of them. While America doesn’t have as large a variety of festivals as India does, it still has its own joyous occasions and moments of festivity.
You already know that Christmas is a BIIIIIIGGGG American festival. But there are others too, like Halloween, which you will love, Rahul, since you have a sweet tooth; Easter, which is a festival with a Giant Bunny and eggs (we know you are confused, but this is a story for another blog), and another major festival called Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving teaches people to ‘give thanks’, which means it is an occasion for expressing gratitude. Now, while Americans celebrate Thanksgiving with their families with a huge feast with the turkey as the star dish, there is also a communal aspect to this celebration. America has this tradition of having a thanksgiving day parade or parades since they have many of those.
Now, let us break the fourth wall (because Deadpool is on our mind right now) and reveal that we already have some tips on how to celebrate Thanksgiving as an NRI in the US. But now, we’ll talk about another important aspect of Thanksgiving: the Thanksgiving Parades.
While many parades happen throughout this ‘Land of the Free, ’ you can’t watch them all! (We mean, you can, but come on! That is a lot of work!) So we have a list of some of the best thanksgiving day parades you should not miss out on. They are like a ‘mela’ but one without rides or games. However, they are no less enjoyable!
Why Do Americans Celebrate Thanksgiving?
America doesn’t have a lot of festivals. But the one it does, it celebrates it with a lot of enthusiasm. One of these festivals is Thanksgiving, which the ‘USians’ love.
They have a big dinner or lunch, where they eat turkey and other traditional dishes like mashed potatoes, stuffing, and a pie for dessert. There are also some very elaborate parades (which we’ll discuss later in detail) on the day. But why exactly is Thanksgiving celebrated? Yeh ‘Thank You’ bolne ke liye alag se din kyu? First, it is a day of showing gratitude, so no Aditi, yahan sirf ‘thank you’ nahi bolte. It is a day of ‘giving thanks’.
The first Thanksgiving lunch was back in 1621 when the native americans first shared a meal with the Pilgrims (English colonists) at Plymouth. Since then, Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving as the first shared meal’s anniversary.
Now, you might ask why Turkey is an important part of the menu. Turkeys were present in large numbers in the Native American land. So that was what the Native Americans cooked for the meal they would share with the immigrants. And now, it is an American tradition to eat Turkey for Thanksgiving.
Turkey Dinners/Lunches Are For Family, But Thanksgiving Day Parades Are A Public Affair
One part of the Thanksgiving celebration is sharing a hearty meal of Turkey with your family and friends. Another part is watching the thanksgiving day parade with them. Now that you know why Thanksgiving is celebrated, it is time to move on to the main point of our entire blog—the Thanksgiving Parades.
While the Turkey meal is reserved for a more intimate celebration, the parades are anything but. They are an event that excites the entire nation. With all their colorful displays and amazing music and dance performances, the parades are a must-watch.
If you have just landed in America, then you shouldn’t miss these parades, as they are a great opportunity to experience the best of American culture as well as to socialize and network.
Why Are There Parades On Thanksgiving?
Parades are all the rage on Thanksgiving in America. They are huge processions with hundreds of feet high and wide balloons, marching bands, dance performers, TV and movie star cameos, and much more. They are also an opportunity for people to gather together with their near and dear ones to enjoy and have a good time.
The thanksgiving day parade started as a way to boost the American economy. Since many people got together in one place, some set up small stalls to sell their products, which led to increased money flow in the economy.
Some parades had a specific reason behind them, like the Macy’s parade, which was started because the store’s employees wished to celebrate the beginning of the holiday shopping season. The Chicago Thanksgiving Parade was one of the efforts to lift the people’s spirits during and after the Great Depression.
But the main aim of these parades is to celebrate the day and have a good time doing so. Many of these parades have been going on for almost 100 years now, but the excitement among Americans for these parades remains the same!
What Do These Parades Have? Why Do I Need To ‘See’ Them??
We are glad you asked the right question, Rahul. Well, there are many answers to these questions. We’ll first answer the ‘why’ part. You see, to understand and become a part of any culture, you need to be able to see it with your own eyes. And if you are fortunate enough, you might even experience this culture first-hand.
Since the Thanksgiving Parades are a big part of the American culture, you should go and enjoy them. And the best part is that you can watch them live for free (because they are on public-access routes) or watch them on your television if you feel like just being a couch-potato for the day.
All the parades have some common elements like marching bands, big floats/balloons, dance performers, singers, and even many celebrities from movies and tv shows. But that doesn’t mean that all the Parades are the same.
Think of the Thanksgiving Parades as movie-award shows. While you know that all of them would be distributing an award for certain achievements, you still prefer the Oscars over the Kamlapasand-paan-masala-sponsored Indian award shows. The same is the case with Thanksgiving Parades. There are a ton of them all over America, but some of them are ones you don’t want to miss out on if you ever get the opportunity to see them in person, like the Macy’s Parade or the 6abc Dunkin Parade.
But we won’t give any more spoilers about the best thanksgiving day parades, as that is precisely what we will discuss in the next blog segment.
What Are Some Of The Best Thanksgiving Day Parades You Will Regret Missing Out On?
As we said in the previous section, some American Thanksgiving parades are an experience in themselves. If you are new to America, you might not know much about them. You might not have the correct sources to learn about these parades or which ones to watch and which not to.
But fear not, Aditi! Tera hero idhar hai. While we won’t ever suggest not watching a Parade, there are some that we insist you should watch. So, we have a list of the top 7 Thanksgiving Parades you should watch.
1. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Location – Central Park, NYC, New York (NY)
If there is one thanksgiving day parade you do not want to miss, it is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is one of the biggest and takes place in New York City (NYC)! The 2024 Thanksgiving Parade would be Macy’s 98th one! Over 3.5 million people from New York watched the parade in person, while around 50 million tuned in through their television sets from all over America in 2023.
The Macy’s Parade is a huge event. It starts from Central Park West in Manhattan at around 8:30 am, then goes through Columbus Circle, Seventh Avenue, and Times Square, and ends at Macy’s Herald Square around noon EST. The route is approximately 3.5 miles long, and the whole thing is a visual treat.
The Macy’s Parade has giant floats (balloon-like representations of popular tv shows and movie characters), many celebrity cameos as hosts, parade participants, marching bands, dancers, and giant balloons in various cute shapes and sizes! It even has casts of many Broadway musicals (Broadway is America’s biggest theatre stage entertainment).
The Macy’s Parade was started because the store’s employees wished to celebrate the start of the holiday shopping season. But now, the parade has become a tradition that Americans look forward to, and why not? After all, it is the biggest one out there. It is also free to watch as its route has many famous public venues and hotspots.
Adding to the fact that the parade takes place in New York, it is practically the king of all Thanksgiving Parades. However, if you don’t like crowds, you can watch it live on NBC at 8:30 am EST, but we suggest you try to go and see it in person if you can.
2. America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration
Location – Plymouth, Massachusetts (MA)
The next best Thanksgiving parade that you shouldn’t miss is the America’s Home Thanksgiving Celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The primary feature of this parade is that it happens at the birthplace of Thanksgiving (if you don’t remember, then you can just scroll back to the first subheading). But that’s not why it is no. 2 on the list of Best Thanksgiving Parades to look out for.
Apparently, Americans love the America’s Home Thanksgiving Celebration because it is the only historically accurate thanksgiving day parade. A distinct feature of this parade is that it takes place on the Saturday preceding ‘Turkey Day’.
The Parade’s opening ceremony usually takes place at Pilgrim Memorial Park or Plymouth Rock, and then the actual parade begins a bit late, around 10 a.m., starting from Plymouth Rock. The parade then goes from Water Street, followed by Mian Street, and ends at Court Street.
Now we’ll come to the parade’s part you are interested in. Recently, the Plymouth Parade partnered up with WCVB Channel 5. This means that you can watch the free parade at home on WCVB Channel 5. But if you want a pleasant and enjoyable experience, then you can always travel to Plymouth, Massachusetts.
3. Chicago Thanksgiving Parade
Location – Chicago, Illinois (IL)
As the name might have already clued you in, the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade happens every year in Chicago, Illinois. The Parade was actually created to lift people’s spirits during and after the Great Depression. It seems like the idea worked, and people loved it so much that this year will be the parade’s 90th anniversary!
The Parade starts around 8:00 am CT but ends earlier than the others at around 11:00 am CT. Its route includes State Street, where it begins from Ida B. Wells Drive to Randolf Street. Chicago’s Parade also has some great celebrity cameos in the parade. You can also watch this parade in person because its route is public-access. And if you are a homebody, you can always watch it on your tv set.
4. 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade
Location – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA)
This is a parade that Dunkin’ Donuts sponsors. Now we’ll tell you some news that will surely make you want to attend this parade, Aditi. We know you read the part about the Dunkin’ Donuts sponsorship, so we know you are wondering whether there are any free donuts (see how well we know you?).
You will be happy to know that it is indeed true! You will get a free donut and coffee if you attend it in person and line up along the parade’s route in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
This Thanksgiving Day parade will be celebrating its 105th anniversary, making it the oldest Thanksgiving parade in America. So, if you are a history buff, this parade is for you to see.
Another specialty of the 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade is that it has a pre-show that starts at 8:30 am EST. After this, the main parade begins at 9:00 am EST. So you are getting two shows at the price of one! (actually, this parade and all the others are free, i.e. you don’t need to pay money to watch them). So, who won’t want to accept such an offer?
5. America’s Thanksgiving Parade
Location – Detroit, Michigan (MI)
The America’s Thanksgiving Parade, held in Detroit, Michigan, was named the Best Holiday Parade in America in 2022 by USA Today.
This should definitely be on your holiday list! This year will be the parade’s 98th Anniversary. Every year, around 4,500 people volunteer to help with this parade.
A big detail for the history-buffs out there is that it is the 2nd oldest Thanksgiving parade in America. It begins between 8:40 am to 9:00 am and goes on till Noon. While even this parade has many floats, balloons, and celebrity cameos, it has some other unique elements as well, like a collection of paper-mache heads called the Big Head Corps and the contingent of local community and corporate leaders who dress up as clowns and make up the Distinguished Clown Corps.
But what really makes the parade distinctive is how it ends. The parade has an adorable climax, with Santa Claus making an appearance. Santa’s appearance marks the beginning of the Christmas season. So you should definitely book a trip to Michigan to watch the cute procession. And if you can’t go to Michigan, you should watch it on your TV!
6. Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade
Location – Charlotte, North Carolina (NC)
One distinguishing feature (which is mentioned in its name, so we know you might have already guessed it, Rahul) is that this thanksgiving day parade, unlike the others, is held on the eve of Thanksgiving. However, this is a very recent development, which took place in 2021. Before 2021, the Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade was also held on Thanksgiving Day.
The Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade is a Charlotte, North Carolina, tradition that has been going on for seven decades. Another distinctive feature of this parade is that even high school marching bands participate in it. These bands also have a ‘Battle of the Band Participants’. Then, there are community marching bands along with various local artists.
Novant Health became the parade’s title sponsor in 2013, and since then, the parade has been called the Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade. A whopping 100,000 people were the live audience for this parade, and more than 1 million people from all over America tuned in.
7. Houston’s H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade
Location – Houston, Texas (TX)
You might have already guessed it; this Thanksgiving Parade is held every year in Houston. Like the rest, it is free to watch and is also one of the top Thanksgiving Parades in the US. 2024 will see this parade’s 75th anniversary!
The Parade will begin at 9:00 a.m. CT on Thanksgiving Day this year and covers 20 city blocks in the Downtown Area of Houston.
VIP seats for the parade cost around $20.25 per seat and are available on the parade’s website. But if you don’t care about having a VIP view, you can just watch it for free by lining up along the parade’s route!
Conclusion – Don’t Miss Out On These 7 Parades To Get The Full Thanksgiving Experience
As someone who will be experiencing your first “proper” thanksgiving on US soil, wouldn’t it be great if you had a list of the best things to see/experience during this festival? Well, Rahul, if you are still wondering what they are, then maybe you should scroll up and read the article all over again! Because we just gave you the whole list.
We have discussed the top 7 parades that you should definitely see and even participate in if you get the chance to. Thanksgiving is a very soothing and exciting festival in America, and a thanksgiving day parade is a must-have on the list of experiences you need for this festival.
So, now that you know all about the best parades and where to see them, why don’t you go ahead and set the itinerary to see as many parades as you can (although since most of them happen on the same day, i.e. thanksgiving and at almost the same time, that might be a bit impossible.). And for those that are left, there is always next year! Bon Voyage!
FAQs
What is the most popular Thanksgiving Day parade?
The Thanksgiving Parade that is very common throughout the US is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is held in New York City. As you already saw in this blog, it is definitely a parade you should never miss!
What parade occurs every Thanksgiving?
America is known for having many large and entertaining parades, usually called Thanksgiving Day Parades. There are many parades throughout the country. In fact, every state has at least one parade on Thanksgiving. Some of the important parades are the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, America’s Thanksgiving Parade (Detroit), and America’s Home Thanksgiving Celebration.
What time are the Thanksgiving Day parades on TV?
While all the parades vary slightly in their broadcast timings, the usual time of airing on TV is between 8:30 a.m. and 12 noon. However, if you want to know more accurate timings, check out the official websites of these Parades on dates close to Thanksgiving.
