86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

On Thursday, November 28, 2013 at 9 a.m. the 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will begin.

The parade travels down Central Park West from 77th Street to Columbus Circle along Central Park South to 6th Avenue, down 6th Avenue to 34th Street and along 34th Street to Macy's Herald Square (34th Street).

Public Viewing Areas:
•Central Park West: West side of street from 70th Street to Columbus Circle & east side of street from 70th to 65th
•Columbus Circle: West side of street
•6th Avenue: between 58th & 34th Streets
•34th Street: south side of street between Broadway & 7th Avenue

Be aware: there is no public or press access in the telecast area on 6th Avenue between 34th and 38th Streets and on 34th Street between Broadway and 7th Avenue. The south side of 34th Street between Broadway and 7th Avenue will has limited public viewing.

ALSO: GRANDSTAND SEATS are NOT available to the general public. These are reserved for VIPS, Special Guests of Macy's, and purchasers of seats via Charity Organizations. Some hotels occasionally have pagage-room deals involving Grandstand seats, but again, these seats are not available to the general public.

Veterans Day Parade

Veterans Day Parade

The New York City Veterans Day Parade, which is an annual parade produced by the United War Veterans Council (UWVC), is the largest Veterans Day event in the United States of America.


Organizers of Monday's parade up Fifth Avenue have renamed it America's Parade. They say it is the largest Veterans Day event in the nation.

The event, which is held in New York's Manhattan borough honoring living and deceased U.S. servicemen and women, begins 11 a.m. EST on Veterans Day.

Ret. General Officer Ann Dunwoody, the first-ever female Four Star general in the U.S. Army, will serve as Grand Marshal of the 94th edition of the historic, patriotic parade in honor of Dunwoody's near-four decades worth of dedicated military service.


The Parade marches up 5th avenue from 23rd street to 53 street

2013 Rockefeller tree lighting

2013  Rockefeller tree lighting

This year’s tree is from Connecticut and will be chopped down today at 9AM then brought into the city. It is a 76-foot tall/47-foot wide Norway Spruce which is 75 tons that will be decorated with 45,000 LED lights and a Swarovski star made of 25,000 crystals.

The 81st Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will take place on Wednesday, 12/4 at 7pm and will be lit each day from 530pm-1130pm, all day on Christmas, and from530am-9pm on NYE. The last day to view the tree will be on 1/7..The tree is lit each day from 5:30AM- 11:30PM .

The ING New York City Marathon

The ING New York City Marathon

Sunday, November 3rd  2013 , Beginning @ 8:30am

http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/spectator_guide.htm

Where to Watch the New York City Marathon:

 http://running.about.com/od/marathonsandreviews/a/nycmarathonfan.htm

The race has official cheering zones throughout the course. Here are some great viewing locations...:

Manhattan:

First Avenue (Miles 16-19). The biggest crowds on the course line the streets on First Avenue, giving the runners a boost as they head toward the Bronx. After you see your runner go by, you can walk west to 5th Avenue or Central Park to catch him again before they finish. If you plan on doing this, just make sure you stand on the west side of First Avenue, since crossing First Avenue can be almost impossible. If you're going to watch here, it's very important to tell your runner exactly where you'll be (for example, northwest corner of 87th and First) so they'll know where to look. The crowds are so deep on First Avenune that it's very easy to miss people.

Fifth Avenue (Mile 23). Runners go up a gradual incline as they run up Fifth Avenue, and they'll definitely be seeking motivation at this point.

Central Park South (Mile 25). Huge crowds here support the runners as they head toward the finish line. This is a great spot to watch the drama unfold if the elite race is close.

Getting Around Central Park:

Manhattan's Central Park is home to the last three miles of the race, including the finish line on West Drive at West 67th Street, next to the famous Tavern on the Green restaurant. Central Park will be packed with runners, spectators, and race officials and some access points will be blocked. So getting around the park is difficult. Here are some ways you can maneuver around the park on race day:

Get a spot in the park between East 90th and East 86th streets. This area is a little less crowded than points farther south, and you'll be able to get cross the park via the Transverse Road at 85th Street.

Park Drive below East 72nd Street gets crowded. But if you go to the East Green at East 69th Street, there is plenty of room and you can get quick access to the 65th Street Transverse.

Crossing Park Drive (where the runners will be) is prohibited, but you can get across the busy road by going underneath it. Use these underpasses: Greywacke Arch at 80th Street, Trefoil Arch at 73rd Street, Willowdell Arch at 67th Street, and Inscope Arch at 62nd Street.

If you're expecting to watch your runner cross that beautiful finish line at Tavern on the Green, don't get your hopes up. Unless you're a race participant, finish line volunteer, race official, or have reserved seats in the bleachers, you won't be able to see much.

FULL COURSE MAP:
http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/images/pdf/INGNYCM13_Course_Map_ForWeb.pdf