MIDTOWN — Thanksgiving will be taking over Manhattan well ahead of Turkey Day with street closures diverting traffic from 10 a.m. Wednesday and disrupted streets for the Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday.
Starting Wednesday at 10 a.m., West 81st and 77th streets will be closed to car traffic from Central Park West to Columbus Avenue while balloons are inflated for the parade.
People can view the balloons on either West 81st or 77th streets Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Officials advise entering the viewing area from the west side of Columbus Avenue at 79th Street.
After 10 p.m. Wednesday, Central Park West from 81st to 59th streets will be closed to traffic.
The floats will start taking their positions for the parade at 8 a.m. Thursday, with the kick off at 9 a.m. from Central Park West and 77th Street.
From there the balloons will float down to 59th Street and then onto 7th Avenue until 42nd Street and then head east to Sixth Avenue where it will head to Macy's on 34th Street.
The following streets will also be closed before and during the parade:
- Broadway between 34th and 38th streets from midnight Thursday to 1 p.m. Thursday
- Seventh Avenue from West 34th to West 42nd streets from 2 a.m. Thursday to 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
- 34th Street between Sixth Avenue and Eighth Avenue from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday.
- 59th Street eastbound between Seventh Avenue and Central Park West from 2 a.m. Thursday to 2 p.m. Thursday.
- 59th Street westbound between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West from 2 a.m. Thursday to 2 p.m. Thursday.
- 35th Street between Fifth and Eighth avenues from 2 a.m. Thursday to 4 p.m. Thursday.
- 36th Street between Sixth and Eighth avenues from 2 a.m. Thursday to 2 p.m. Thursday.
- 37th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue from 4 a.m. Thursday to 2 p.m. Thursday.
- 38th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue from 4 a.m. Thursday to 2 p.m. Thursday.
- Eighth Avenue between 34th and 40th streets from 4 a.m. Thursday to 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
- Broadway between 38th and 59th streets from 4 a.m. Thursday to 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
- 33rd Street between Seventh and 10th avenues from 8 a.m. Thursday to 2 p.m. Thursday.
- 39th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue from 8 a.m. Thursday to 2 p.m. Thursday.
- 40th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue from 8 a.m. Thursday to 2 p.m. Thursday.
- Central Park 65th Street/66th Street transverse roads from 7 a.m. Thursday until the conclusion of the parade.
You can check out the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade website for details about featured balloons and additional parade details.