It’s not winter just yet. Check out these NYC activities before fall is over and you officially start your winter hibernation!

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

It’s the parade watched in pajamas all around the country, and you can watch it live and in person. This year’s record-breaking six new balloons include the Pillsbury Doughboy and Thomas the Tank Engine, along with old standbys like Spider-Man, Ronald McDonald, and of course Snoopy (2014 marks his 33rd parade). Performing this year are Idina Menzel (of Frozen fame), Hilary Duff, and many more. Bundle up to experience this awesome NYC fall pastime.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Balloon Inflation

On the Wednesday before the big day (that’s November 26th this year), the balloons are inflated on 81st and 77th Streets, between Central Park West and Columbus (the public entrance is at 79th and Columbus). It’s a bit of a zoo, but worth checking out at least once … especially if you’ve got kids who appreciate getting up close and personal with some of their favorite characters in balloon form.

Smorgasburg

Head out to the open-air foodie fair before it gets too cold (and don’t worry, there are plenty of soups on offer). The season’s final iterations of Smorgasburg will be November 22 at the Williamsburg waterfront and November 23 at Brooklyn Bridge Park. It’s a great way to train for the Thanksgiving overeating.

New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show

If you’ve got kids, you’ll want to check out one of the most beloved NYC activities of the year: the New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show, which runs November 15–January 19 at this amazing (and vast) garden in the Bronx. This year, visitors will find more trains than ever — nearly a quarter-mile of track. Model trains zip past popular NYC landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge, all re-created with bark, leaves, and other natural materials to make a miniature replica of NYC.

Outdoor Ice Skating

Before it gets too cold, do some ice skating at some of the city’s outdoor rinks, including The Rink at Rockefeller Center, Trump Rink (formerly known as Wollman Rink) in Central Park, and Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park. Of course, it’s never too early for some hot chocolate après-skate.

While it might be tempting to hunker down in your cozy apartment when the weather gets cold, there are too many NYC activities beckoning to city dwellers this fall!

Image Source: Flickr/Patrick Nouhailler

[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[/cf]