The best things to do on Thanksgiving in NYC

The annual pageant of giant balloons, floats, cheerleaders, clowns, marching bands, and theatrical performances is one of the best NYC events in November.

Expect to see 34 balloons, 29 floats, and four balloonicles.  Several new balloons are joining the parade this year, including Buzz Lightyear, Mario, Pac-Man, Derpy Tiger and Shrek's Onion Carriage.

Plus, see performers including Ciara, Foreigner, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Busta Rhymes, Shaggy, Mickey Guyton and Teyana Taylor, plus Matteo Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Christopher Jackson, Lauren Spencer Smith, Calum Scott, Jewel, Debbie Gibson, Meg Donnelly and Taylor Momsen. 

Here's more about the parade and where to see it.

NYC is packed with holiday markets offering holiday spirit and unique gifts. While fancy Christmas window displays may entice you, NYC's holiday markets offer a chance to shop local. With everything from clothing to holiday ornaments to artwork, there's something for everybody on your holiday shopping list.

Shopping for the perfect gift doesn't have to be stressful; make it fun at these holiday markets.

NYC offers plenty of indoor and outdoor rinks where you can glide and practice your toe jumps. To help narrow down your options, we've listed the top places to go, including the iconic Rink at Rockefeller Center or the beloved rink at Central Park.

You can even make a full-day out of it when you shop at one of the city’s best holiday markets, followed by sipping hot chocolate and skating on The Rink at the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park. If you'd rather stay warm while on the ice, there are many all-weather indoor rinks, including spots that offer roller skating.

If New York is famous for anything around Christmas time, it’s our ornate holiday window displays. As always, stores like Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany & Co. join in to show off their holiday spirit and latest merchandise.

These eyepopping displays are works of art with mosaics, sculptural elements and gorgeous, glittering colors.

Not much of a home chef? No worries, NYC restaurants do Thanksgiving right.

There are a plethora of NYC’s best restaurants to choose from for meals over the course of the holiday weekend (and all year long). If you’re specifically looking for somewhere memorable to eat on the big day, this list is a good place to start.

Meander through Manhattan's iconic greenspace to admire the autumnal energy. In fall, look for a bevy of mums at the Conservatory Garden and colorful leaves atop the Mall. 

Tourists and locals love to frequent one of the city’s best parks for its various lawns, fountains, walking paths, trees and picnic spots. On Thanksgiving Day, bundle up and stroll through this beautiful spot. 

Instead of spending all your cash in a city where rent takes so much money anyway, we’ve come up with a list of foolproof things to do in NYC that are guaranteed to spark more joy than a cozy sweater. Yes, even if it’s 50 percent off!

We recommend opting outside on Black Friday. The Urban Park Rangers are hosting hikes across the five boroughs. Green-Wood Cemetery also offers a Post-Turkey Day Walking Tour.

The Queens Craft Brigade hosts an exceptional community of makers exclusively from the borough of Queens. The independent, queer-owned market at Q.E.D. Astoria brings together talented makers exclusively from around the borough and has created monthly curated events featuring artwork, jewelry, fashion, crafts and more. This year marks the eighth year anniversary of QCB.

Head to the pop-up market on November 29 for Small Business Saturday. 

Festooned with more than 1,000 meticulously hand-folded paper ornaments, this year’s 13-foot-tall tree at the American Museum of Natural History is inspired by the theme "New Beginnings." The theme is a reference to new museum exhibition "Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs" and the approaching New Year. 

The design will celebrate the spectacular variety of species that evolved after an asteroid impact ended the age of dinosaurs some 66 million years ago. It'll even be topped with a golden asteroid! 

You’ll get a kick out of this holiday stalwart, which still features Santa, wooden soldiers and the dazzling Rockettes. In recent years, new music, more eye-catching costumes and advanced technology have been introduced to bring audience members closer to the performance.

In the signature kick line that finds its way into most of the big dance numbers, the Rockettes’ 36 pairs of legs rise and fall like the batting of an eyelash, their perfect unison a testament to the disciplined human form. This is precision dancing on a massive scale—a Busby Berkeley number come to glorious life—and it takes your breath away.