Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade guide

The night before

Go witness the final preparations, and you may decide you can skip the main event entirely:

Balloon inflation, 3--10pm
Watch Snoopy and his inflatable chums come to life on Thanksgiving Eve near the American Museum of Natural History.

Tip: Residents in this area tend to have their friends over to watch the balloons take shape the night before. If you have any posh friends living on Central Park West, now's the time to cash in on those connections for a great view of the action.

The route, and where to stand

The parade changed its route in 2009, and the course will change again for the 2012 parade. But for now, the beginning is the same as ever: It will start at 77th Street and Central Park West and head south. Then, it turns east on Central Park South before turning onto Seventh Avenue. At 42nd Street it will slide over to Sixth Avenue before meandering down to Macy's at Herald Square. Though the first massive balloon doesn't cross the starting line until 9am, parade officials recommend that you pick your viewing spot by 7am to avoid disappointment. A map of the route and suggested viewing locations are available at the Macy's official parade site.

Tip: The Shops at Columbus Circle (10 Columbus Circle at Central Park West; 212-823-6300, shopsatcolumbuscircle.com) open at 9am on Thanksgiving Day. From the second and third floors of the mall, you should be able to see the floats as they travel down Central Park West.

What you'll see

Broadway stars: Expect numbers from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Sister Act, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and, of course, the Radio City Rockettes.

Musical guests: As always there will be plenty of musical guests entertaining the crowds along the parade route and in front of Macy's. This year's lineup includes Cee Lo Green, Mary J. Blige, Avril Lavigne and Scotty McCreery.

Balloons: Bigger is always better at the Thanksgiving parade—this year, giant balloons (some as many as three stories high) of Sonic the Hedgehog and Paul Frank's Julius (the designer's iconic monkey) will make their debut. Also appearing for the first time is B. Boy, a character designed by director Tim Burton.

Floats: Sesame Street characters and Dora the Explorer are among those showcasing their educational tunes and dance numbers, and a float devoted to Zhu Zhu Pets will make its parade debut. Also, Christmas comes early, with Santa making his grand entrance.

Where to eat after

Near the parade route (reservations recommended)
1. Isabella's—Columbus Ave at 77th St.
2. Ocean Grill—78th St at Columbus Ave.
3. 'Cesca—75th St at Amsterdam Ave.
4. Aureole—42nd St between Sixth Ave and Broadway.

Kid-friendly (parade proximity varies)
1. Alice's Tea Cup—W 73rd St at Columbus Ave.
2. Good—Greenwich Ave at Bank St.
3. Kitchenette—156 Chambers St at Greenwich St.
4. Penelope (no reservation needed)—Lexington Ave at 30th St.

The random facts you kinda wanna know

* The Thanksgiving Day parade is the second-most viewed event in the U.S. after the Super Bowl.

* The parade is put together by a small team of Macy's employees who work year-round out of a studio in Moonachie, New Jersey, and around 5,000 volunteers. The studio doubles as a storage facility, which is the home of the floats and balloons for the other 363 days of the year.