Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012 Route; Best Spots to View the Parade
Macy's famous Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City is almost here.
The 86th annual parade starts at 9 a.m. at 77th Street and Central Park West in Manhattan. The route will go through Columbus Circle and turn on Central Park South. The parade will then move onto Sixth Avenue toward 59th Street.
The final path will lead down 34th Street till it ends at Macy's Herald Square.
The "Today Show's" Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker will host this annual event with appearances by Jimmy Fallon.
Some of the giant balloons featured for the 2012 parade are Papa Smurf, the Elf on the Shelf and Hello Kitty.
According to CBS News, the best spot for pedestrian viewing will be 42nd Street near Sixth Avenue as well as paths going through Sixth Avenue up to 34th Street.
If you want the best views a good time to arrive is around 6 a.m. so bundle up as the sky is expected to be sunny but temperatures are expected for the low 50's.
For this year's parade, 5,000 seats were given away to families hit by Hurricane Sandy.
"As soon as we were able to gain access back to the studio, everybody was even more dedicated to get this parade finished for those who really need something to smile about this Thanksgiving," said Amy Kule, executive producer for the parade, to CBS.
The streets will be crowded as over 8,000 marchers will participate in the parade. A detailed map of the planned route can be found at the Macy's parade website.
Some of the other celebrity guests to appear are Trace Adkins, Flo Rida, Carly Rae Jepsen, Don McLean and the Muppets with the cast of Sesame Street.
U.S. Olympians Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber are also expected to make appearances.
