Shenaniganska: Throwback Thursday: Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Happy Thanksgiving America!

Today is the day of no regrets and multiple food comas! Yes, another year flew by and here we are celebrating Thanksgiving once again. For this special occasion I wanted to throw it back to last year's Macy's Thanksgiving Parade which I had a pleasure to experience. Even though New York City is rather cold (um...freezing) at this time of year, I recommend braving up and heading to the city to be a part of this special event. I assure you, anybody who thinks a parade is for kids, is wrong. Sure, it takes effort to get up early to find the best spot to watch a parade from and a strong will to stand in a crowd for hours, but it is all worth it. Because what can be better than starting a day (especially a holiday one) off right with some music and dance?

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade has been around for decades, today New York City is kicking off the 88th edition of the event. Parade starts at 9 a.m. at Central Park West from 77th Street to Columbus Circle along Central Park South to 6th Avenue, down 6th Avenue to 34th Street along 34th Street and ends at Macy's Herald Square.

There's always celebrities, performers, marchers, floats and giant balloons. To make sure you get a good viewing spot you need to show up at the scene as early as possible. Before 6:30 a.m. is ideal. Because last year I didn't arrive until 8 a.m. or so, I decided it would be best to head uptown thinking there won't be as many people over there. I can't imagine finding an empty spot anywhere down from 6th Avenue to Macy's Herald Square. We ended up on the corner of W 66th Street and Central Park West and it was definitely a good place to be. If you have money and good organizational skill s, though, I would recommend booking a hotel with a group of friends to see a parade from the top. Although it's probably not the same experience to see balloons from the top rather than from the ground up, it sure would be more convenient to skip the crowds. One way or another, you are guaranteed to have loads of fun.

Jimmy Fallon and the Roots (and my beloved Big Bird).

Fall Out Boys.

Kristin Chenoweth.

It is also important to have something planned for after the parade is over. It would be a good idea to think of an exit route in advance to make sure you don't get stuck in a crowd or get lost in general. My advice is to find a good spot to warm up, eat, drink and watch the rest of the parade on TV. And after you're done wining and dining, head back out to enjoy the city's skyline.