Thanksgiving is a time for families to get together and celebrate while giving thanks. It can be difficult to be grateful and in a good mood when you encounter the traffic challenges of a Thanksgiving parade while driving your car. In order to maximize car safety during this holiday, you should check out the parade schedule and plan your travels accordingly.

Most people will likely travel the day before or avoid some of the largest cities where these Thanksgiving Day parades are being held, but not everyone can avoid the cities where the six largest parades are held. Be sure to check the timing of the parade route and attend the parade or traveling around it when you visit family and friends during this holiday.

Have a look at the six largest Thanksgiving Day parades for 2023.

1. America’s Thanksgiving Parade

America’s Thanksgiving Parade is held by The Parade Company of Detroit and presented by Gardner White. This holiday parade is a morning event held in Detroit, Michigan travels along Woodward Avenue from Kirby to Congress.

The route covers three miles of Woodward Ave. and begins at 8:45 am. Typically, this Thanksgiving Parade takes 1.5 hours from start to end, with the finish line at the Celebration Zone. 

2. Chicago Thanksgiving Parade

The Skydeck covers the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade and its timing pretty well. This holiday parade begins at 8 am and lasts three hours until 11 am. The parade begins at the corner of State Street and Ida B. Wells Drive, heading north until it reaches Randolph Street.

You’ll want to avoid driving near this route most of the day on Thanksgiving, but if you’re attending the parade arrive early and enjoy a fantastic event through The Loop of Chicago. 

3. Houston Thanksgiving Day Parade

Houston, Texas, is home to the oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade in the country. The parade is called the H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade, and this year marks the 74^th consecutive year for the event. This holiday parade begins at 9 am and covers 20 city blocks.

The route for this holiday parade is covered on the Houston city page, which shows a starting point of Lamar St and Smith St heading toward Walker St. where the parade makes a right turn. The route then turns right again at Milam St and runs to Pease St for another right turn.

After another right turn onto Louisiana St, the route makes a left on Clay St before making its final right turn onto Smith St before coming to an end at Dallas St.

4. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the most widely televised holiday events. This parade has become a tradition for many families and is one of the longest parades, starting at 8:30 am and finishing at noon on Thanksgiving Day.

This popular Thanksgiving parade begins near Central Park in Manhattan at West 77th St. and Central Park West. The parade travels south and turns left at Columbus Circle, moving along the park’s south end.

The parade then turns right on 6^th Avenue and travels along this street until it makes a final right turn into Macy’s Herald Square, where the parade ends. 

5. Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade

If you’re traveling near Charlotte, North Carolina, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, you’ll want to avoid the downtown area where the Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade takes place. This parade begins at 5:45 pm.

The parade route begins at 9^th Street and Tryon Street, where the parade participants will travel down Tryon Street toward Good Samaritan Way, where the parade ends.

6. Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade claims to be the first and oldest parade of its kind in the country if you believe the Visit Philadelphia page. This holiday parade begins at 8:30 am with a 30-minute pre-show followed by three hours of parade events traveling along the route.

The parade route for the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 20^th Street and John F. Kennedy Blvd, traveling toward the Philadelphia Museum of Art where it ends.

Enjoy the Thanksgiving Day Parades, but don’t become part of the weird car news that could happen if you accidentally end up on the parade line on this wonderful holiday. While traveling, check the parade times and routes to plan your travels accordingly.