Thanksgiving Parades in the Northeastern United States

Everyone loves the Thanksgiving holiday-after all, it involves a cozy gathering of friends and family, a day or more off of work and school, a chance to reflect on the little things that make life more bearable, and of course, heaps of delicious comfort food! A Thanksgiving holiday weekend is a time for celebration, eating, and of course on Black Friday, shopping. However, there is one form of Thanksgiving holiday entertainment nobody should miss out on: the Thanksgiving Parade.

Thanksgiving Parades are a big deal. Everyone has heard of the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a great Thanksgiving holiday spectacle of floats and music that sets the tone for the Holiday season. Yes, the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is great, but what if you don't live in or near New York City? Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television is certainly a viable option, but there is something about a live Macy's Thanksgiving Parade that cannot be captured by video cameras. Watching in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television is fun, but it just isn't the same-and it is interrupted every five minutes by commercials, and who wants that?

Fortunately, there are great Thanksgiving Parades all over the Northeast! The following Thanksgiving Parades are just a sampling of some of the best local Thanksgiving Parades in the northeastern region of the United States. If you don't live near any of the following Thanksgiving Day Parade locations, just google "Thanksgiving Parade" and the name of your town, and you'll be sure to find one close by!

Silver Spring, Maryland Thanksgiving Day Parade

There are no official Thanksgiving Parades in Washington D.C, so residents typically flock to nearby Silver Spring in Maryland, for the annual Silver Spring Thanksgiving Day Parade which starts at Sligo and Georgia Avenues and ends on Cedar Lane. The Silver Spring Thanksgiving Day Parade is the perfect way to enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday. It features 50 foot floats, local high school marching bands, mounted police and antique cars.

Boskov's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This Thanksgiving Day Parade is a favorite with the locals, who choose to forgo the long drive to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Boskov's Thanksgiving Day Parade starts near City Hall and ends at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is known as one of the best Thanksgiving Parades for seeing children's floats. Past floats included the characters from Narnia, Frosty the Snowman, Hello Kitty, Kermit the Frog and others. Adults can enjoy the Thanksgiving Day Parade special guests, usually celebrities or performance acts. The special guests in 2008 were Rachel Ray, Justin Guaraní, Miss America, several Olympians from the 2008 Olympics and the Eagles cheerleaders.

America's Hometown Thanksgiving Day Parade in Plymouth, Massachusetts

America's Hometown Thanksgiving Day Parade in Plymouth actually takes place the Saturday morning before the Thanksgiving holiday. This is one of few Thanksgiving parades that takes place in chronological order and is historically accurate. The Plymouth Thanksgiving Day Parade begins with a fanfare of music and a fantastic Military Flyover. The many handmade floats, history re-enactments, drum and bugle corps and military bands chronicle United States history from the 1600's through the present. The fun doesn't stop at the Thanksgiving Day Parade though! Throughout the day there is music, and displays of techniques such as candle-making, canning jellies and jams and soap-making.

Baltimore Thanksgiving Day Parade

Like the America's Hometown Thanksgiving Day Parade in Plymouth, the Baltimore Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place the Saturday before the Thanksgiving holiday. This Thanksgiving Day Parade follows Platt Street through the Inner Harbor. Those watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade will enjoy seeing Santa in a horse-drawn carriage, equestrian units, plenty of clowns, USA cheerleaders, huge floats and balloons, including the Chesapeake Synchronized Skating & Mini Float, which performs to Holiday music.