America's 5 Cities With The Best Thanksgiving Parades

Though maybe not as drawn-out as Christmas among the holidays for travelers, Thanksgiving Day has a place in travelers' hearts in its own right. Thanksgiving has two poles: On one end, the cozy, quieter experience of a gracious feast with family and friends; on the other end, the boisterous, extravagant visual feast of Thanksgiving Day parades. From the first Thanksgiving Day parade held over 100 years ago, the holiday tradition has become one that numerous major cities across the U.S. embrace in some way, drawing in massive crowds with a fanfare of floats, balloons, and performances.

Many of the major parades are televised nationally, though there really is no match for the experience of getting to witness the parade for yourself, swept up in its rollicking energy and collective cheer. Whether you're traveling within a city for the parade or passing through, you'll want to follow some tips for minimizing travel disruptions around the holiday season — nearly 82 million people are expected to travel for Thanksgiving in 2025, according to the AAA Newsroom. 

These are the cities that truly stand out for their Thanksgiving parades. Some of them are easily recognizable, but other, smaller city parades have made the list, too, because of the quality and cultural weight of their parades. We gathered these cities based on their cultural and historical significance to the holiday, variety and ambition of the parade, and firsthand traveler experiences.

There's no doubting it: The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City is the country's most iconic, attracting around 3.5 million people each year to witness it firsthand, plus another 50 million (or more) who watch it on TV, according to The Street. Over 5,000 people participate in the parade's lineup, and the spectacle will have more than 30 balloons, 27 floats, and a whopping 33 clown groups in 2025, the Macy's press release states. 

In addition to its grandeur, the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade also has a long, colorful history dating back over 100 years. The first iteration took place in 1924 on Thanksgiving Day, as The Guardian reported, and was started largely by European immigrants who were employees of Macy's and wanted to blend the American holiday with traditional European parade influences. The parade was a hit and continued to be held every year (except during World War II).

The original Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade stretched over 5 miles, from 145th Street down to 34th Street. These days, though, the parade follows a 2.5-mile route from 77th Street to the Macy's flagship on 34th Street. Some of the best spots to watch the parade are on the northern leg, by Central Park, according to travel blogger My Wanderlusty Life, since the spectator crowds tend to get denser the further south you go along the route. Note that two areas — between 59th and 60th Streets, and on 6th Avenue between 34th and 38th Streets — have limited public viewing. You could even watch the parade from your room in a chic New York City hotel. The parade goes from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

The Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade (aka the 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade) has the longest history of any in the country. In 1920, Philadelphia held the first-ever Thanksgiving parade, and it was originally conceptualized by the Gimbel Brothers department store. That year, the parade consisted of about 50 people and 15 cars, and, though modest, it was what inspired other department stores (like Macy's) to sponsor their own parades in the future. 

Since then, Philadelphia's own Thanksgiving Day parade grew to rival the others, with 2024's parade having close to 20 floats and 3,000 performers. According to 6abc, the 2025 lineup is stacked with celebrities, too: Ryan Seacrest, Vanna White, and Kelly Ripa are a few well-known faces among them.

The parade route is about 1.4 miles long, starting at 20th Street and JFK Boulevard. There's a pre-show at 8:30 a.m., then the parade starts moving at 9, proceeding to 16th Street, where it turns left on Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The parade ends at the Museum of Art in Fairmount, one of Philadelphia's most cultured areas. There are plenty of great spots to view the parade along the route, but some of the best views are along the parkway, from City Hall to the museum. Plus, it connects you to some other Philly holiday activities. "I usually start around the Art Museum and walk opposite the direction of the flow and end up at the Christmas Village in Love Park and the markets on Dilworth Plaza for some lunch and shopping," a Reddit user shared.

Though perhaps less renowned than the NYC Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Detroit's America's Thanksgiving Parade is just as time-tested, also tracing its roots to 1924. Hosted by the department store Hudson's, the first Thanksgiving parade in Detroit had a Mother Goose float, performers wearing papier-mâché heads, and marching bands — elements that are still a signature of the parade up to today. In 2024, America's Thanksgiving Parade won the top spot for the best holiday parade in the country by USA Today. You can expect tons of baton twirlers, floats, balloons, and an assembly of clowns known as the Distinguished Clowns Corps.

Detroit's America's Thanksgiving Parade begins at 8:45 a.m., setting off from the intersection of Woodward Avenue and Kirby Street, next to the Detroit Historical Museum. The parade proceeds down Woodward Avenue for nearly 3 miles before ending just past Campus Martius Park, near the Guardian Building, downtown Detroit's Art Deco crown jewel. The parade is free to see, though there are also premier, grandstand seating locations along the route with tickets around $60 per person. 

The People Mover, Detroit's automated light rail, is free on Thanksgiving Day, and two of its stops (Broadway and Grand Circus Park) put you near the parade's lower leg. If you'll be driving in, there are several parking options along the route (which have fees) — the Parade Company suggests the Huntington Place roof deck, Huntington Place, Washington Blvd. Garage, Center Garage, or Millennium Garage for best access.

What's often regarded as the First Thanksgiving took place here in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621. While other Thanksgiving parades around the country commemorate a century (or slightly more) of history, Plymouth's America's Hometown Thanksgiving Parade is linked to an event much further in the past, honoring over 400 years of Thanksgivings. The parade is just one event in a whole weekend full of celebrations — taking place the weekend before Thanksgiving, rather than on Thanksgiving Day — which also includes a ceremony at Plymouth Rock, the Hometown Music Concert, and a harvest festival. 

The America's Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration website calls the parade "America's only historically accurate chronological parade" because it features a procession of floats depicting each century in American history, from the 17th to the 21st, in sequential order. A Native American dwelling, a reconstructed Mayflower ship, and a giant cranberry scoop are some of the handmade floats celebrating local history seen in past parades.

The America's Hometown Thanksgiving Parade commences from Plymouth Rock at 10 a.m., following the hour-long opening ceremony. The parade continues for about a mile, going up Main Street and Court Street. Though the parade itself takes place on the Saturday before Thanksgiving Day, it's broadcast on Thanksgiving morning, and it can be watched live on the America's Hometown Thanksgiving website. The Plymouth Independent recommends parking at the Plymouth County Courthouse or Kingston MBTA lot, from which free shuttle buses can transport you to stops along the parade route. After the parade, you can get tickets to join the harvest feast that takes place at Plimoth Patuxet Museums.

The town of Fountain Hills, Arizona, may be best known for its world-famous fountain and the jaw-dropping beauty of the Sonoran Desert. But, around the holiday season, its star event is a Thanksgiving parade that touts itself as "the largest Thanksgiving Day parade west of the Mississippi." Despite its grand billing, the parade has a much more community-centric feel, described by the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce as a "hometown favorite" anchored by local businesses, service organizations, and marching groups. It also has a few novel elements, like animal groups, vintage cars, and motorcycle shows. 

The event has been an annual tradition since 1984, and each year, the parade is structured around a specific theme. 2025's theme, for example, is the circus. The parade culminates in the appearance of Santa Claus at its tail.

The Fountain Hills Thanksgiving Day Parade has a tighter window than other, big-city Thanksgiving parades around the country, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ending at 10:45 a.m. The parade starts at the intersection of North Saguaro Boulevard and East Parkview Avenue, proceeding south to do a turnabout on the Avenue of the Fountains, before continuing down Saguaro Boulevard to its finish line. It's preceded by the beloved Turkey Trot 5K Run & Fitness Walk that starts on the Avenue of the Fountains at 7:15 a.m. The Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce denotes free parking lots with access along Palisades Boulevard and La Montana Drive.

There's an abundance of great Thanksgiving Day parades that take place across the nation, but to narrow down the top five, we considered five factors: reputation, cultural significance, accessibility, variety of attractions, and attendees' experiences. Many of the insights were drawn from regional and national media coverage, tourism boards, and local reviews. We prioritized events with meaningful origins and those that have contributed in notable ways to broader Thanksgiving Day parade traditions. We also focused on parades that are free to attend, have viewing areas, and have either public transportation options or parking information readily available.