Guide to Celebrating the Holidays in New York City

The holiday season in New York City starts on Thanksgiving day and keeps on going until New Years. The first free activity of the Holiday Season is one of the most famous in the world, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and this year is extra special It is the Eightieth Anniversary of the first parade. There will be one special new, New York tradition starting this year. It will be the first appearance ever of the Macy’s Great American Marching band. This Band is made up of 200 high school musicians from all fifty states and the District of Columbia. And there is something special the night before also. If you can get to Central Park West, you can catch another free activity and watch the huge balloons being inflated It will be near the American Museum of Natural History at 77th Street and Central Park West.

The next big free activity of the holiday season in New York City is the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree on Tuesday November 28 2006 at about 8:50P.. If you don’t mind crowds and a lot of noise, then you might consider going. The Plaza is not very big, so space is very limited, but if you get there early enough to get a good spot, it is a once in a lifetime experience. And by early I mean around 3PM The tree does not actually get lit until about 9PM so that is a lot of waiting. If you do not make it to the actual lighting, the tree will be lit form 7AM to midnight until Jan 5th, so be sure to stop one day. It is a spectacular site, one that you cannot get the right perspective on from TV.