By Gus Saltonstall
Before the iconic balloons and floats make their way down Central Park West on Thursday for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, they come to life on Wednesday on the Upper West Side.
Crowd favorites such as Snoopy, Ronald McDonald, Smokey the Bear, and the Pillsbury Doughboy will all be inflated the day before the parade.
There are also 13 new balloons and floats in the 2024 parade: Minnie Mouse, Noorah & The Elf on the Shelf, Gabby, Goku, Paw Patrol, Spider-Man, Candy Cosmos, Dora’s Fantastical Rainforest, Magic Meets the Seas, Pasta Knight, SpongeBob SquarePants Garriage, Wednesday Feat, and the Wondrous World of Wildlife.
Here’s what to know about the inflation event, which is free for the public to attend. You do not need a ticket.
Time
- Wednesday, November 27 from 1 to 6 p.m.
Location
The inflation event takes place outside the American Museum of Natural History from West 77th to 81st streets, between Columbus and Central Park West.
There is an ongoing construction project to install an elevator at the 81st Street and Central Park West B and C station, but the MTA removed staging equipment from the corner in recent days. The materials are expected to return after the Thanksgiving Parade.
Entrance and Exit
All guests for the inflation event must enter through a secure checkpoint at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue. Once you enter, there will be volunteers along the route to point you in the right direction.
The line for the checkpoint entrance will open at noon on Wednesday.
After viewing the balloons, people can then exit along any block from West 82nd to 86th streets.
Other Information
There are a variety of items prohibited from the inflation-event viewing area, including umbrellas, backpacks, large bags, chairs, alcohol, drones, and e-cigarettes.
The closest subway station to the entrance point is the B and C stop at 72nd Street and Central Park West.
On Tuesday, West Side Rag will post the local street closures to know about on Wednesday and Thursday.
Here is an illustration showing the inflation event route.
You can find out more about the inflation event — HERE.
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It would have been nice to hear Macy’s and UWS community leaders assure people that the huge lines on Columbus that were unorganized and hours long with people being told that if they were on line by 6 pm that they would get in only to not get in would not happen this year. That steps were being taken to prevent the kettling, profiling of people and stop and frisks of people coming to view the balloon inflation that occurred last year. That policies were clarified as to stuff like photography, standing around the area where the Mayor’s press conference takes place at around 5 pm because there were also issues surrounding that last year. But alas neither the UWS community leaders nor Macy’s care despite disappointed fans. It would be nice to see Macy’s and UWS community leaders empathize with disappointed fans and welcome them back this year after how badly last year’s balloon inflation went.
Old Mr Hussey would be appalled, I think, at how the parade prep has ballooned (pun intended) into the mess you describe. Back in the day, it was a relatively simple event: a couple of hundred UWS neighbors would either visit a friend who had a window on 77th St overlooking the inflation, or stand on the sidewalk in the cold, oohing and aahing and sipping from Thermoses of hot beverages. It was magical and fun then; it isn’t now. Too bad.
Hard pass on this event these days. Used to be good.