On Saturday, November 21, at 10 a.m., North Avenue becomes a parade route from Eastchester Road to Bonnefoy Place. The City of New Rochelle's event calendar lists the date, start time and route for 2026. As of late October, it also says "Stay tuned for more info." The Chamber's volunteer listing gives the walk as 1.5 miles, and the parade runs rain or shine.
The route runs past a long line of restaurants, bars and cafés. That follows from who runs the parade. The New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce organizes it with the City, and last year's viewing plan was built around member businesses on North Avenue. If you know which storefronts hosted watch parties, you have a good start on planning the morning, even before the 2026 lineup is announced.
A parade run by the businesses along the route
The New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce and the City of New Rochelle hosted the 61st annual parade on November 22, 2025, according to Talk of the Sound's preview. In that preview, Chamber president Rob Hayes, who also owns The Beechmont Tavern, described where the parade came from:
"It's evolved from a small night-time Thanksgiving Eve event to become the 2nd largest Thanksgiving Parade in the state."
He also thanked the Chamber members who "worked to bring the Parade to New Rochelle while enhancing the economic and business life of the City."
The sponsor list shows how much of the parade depends on local businesses. In the City's 2025 parade announcement, Treehouse Play Place was the presenting sponsor and rode on a storybook float. The New Rochelle Downtown BID was the Gold Sponsor. Audi New Rochelle supplied the convertible for Grand Marshal Chris Selin, a former City Council member and former president of the New Rochelle Library Foundation. The same announcement called Beechmont Tavern "the heartbeat of the Parade." It said viewers could join watch parties "all along North Avenue."
So the watch parties were part of the plan from the start. A parade put on by a chamber of commerce sends spectators to its members' doors. On a late-November morning, a table near a window is a practical place to watch.
The 2025 watch-party storefronts, by address
The City and Talk of the Sound named six businesses that hosted watch parties along North Avenue in 2025. Each one's own website currently lists a North Avenue address. The 2026 watch-party list has not been announced, so check with a business directly before counting on a seat.
| Business | Address listed on its site | Role in 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Beechmont Tavern | 750 North Ave | Watch party; named a major Parade Patron |
| The Mirage | 690 North Ave | Watch party |
| Toastique | 604 North Ave | Watch party |
| The Taco Project | 596 North Ave | Watch party |
| SmokeHouse Tailgate Grill | 587 North Ave | Watch party |
| Spectators Sports Pub and Restaurant | 227 North Ave | Watch party |
Three of the six sit between 587 and 604 North Ave, which makes that block the busiest stretch on the list. If your group wants different things, one person can pick up breakfast at Toastique while another holds a spot at The Taco Project or SmokeHouse Tailgate Grill, all within a short walk. Beechmont Tavern and The Mirage, at 750 and 690, are farther up the avenue's numbering. Spectators, at 227, is the outlier on the list.
Spectators' site links its directions to 219 North Ave, while its footer gives 227, so confirm the address before you set a meeting point.
What is set for 2026, and what is still from 2025
It is easy to mix up last year's coverage with this year's plans, so here is what each source covers.
Confirmed for 2026
- Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m. start
- Route on North Avenue from Eastchester Road to Bonnefoy Place
- Rain or shine, organized with the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, with volunteers needed
From 2025, not yet announced for 2026
- Grand Marshal Chris Selin, with Mighty Mouse as the lead balloon alongside Tom the Turkey, Bugs Bunny and Scooby-Doo
- 11 marching bands and 10 floats, with bands from Iona University, Monroe University and local schools
- A performance grandstand near Anderson Plaza in the Vanguard District
- A recording of the parade for NRTV broadcast over Thanksgiving weekend
Last year's grandstand gives you a reasonable place to start if you want to see performances rather than just a passing float. Check the City calendar the week of the parade, since the 2026 location may change.
Holding a balloon instead of watching one
Spectators are not the only ones the Chamber is recruiting. The 2026 New Rochelle Thanksgiving Parade listing on Volunteer New York offers four roles. As of late October, 89 balloon-holder spots and 25 banner-holder spots were open. The hot chocolate table and parade support roles were full and had waitlists. Those numbers change as people sign up.
What the listing asks of balloon and banner holders:
- Attend an on-site training and be able to walk 1.5 miles.
- Be comfortable with physical labor. Balloon holders set up the giant balloons, walk with them for the whole route, take down floats and pick up litter. Banner holders also set up signs and collect plywood and generators.
- Stay for the full shift until dismissed, and dress for whatever the weather turns out to be.
- Sign up for only one role, using a personal email address because school email servers may block messages.
Volunteers wear shirts that match their balloon or banner. A balloon-holder spot is how most residents end up in the parade instead of beside it. The City's 2025 announcement called it a chance to check "an item off your bucket list."
Before the floats and after them
Last year, the morning started early. In 2025, the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence held a $5 pancake breakfast from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the New Rochelle High School House 4 cafeteria, with administrators and teachers serving. Guests came in through the doors facing Twin Lakes and North Avenue and parked in the Teachers' Lot on Clove Road. No 2026 breakfast has been announced yet.
The 2025 parking list also gives a starting point while North Avenue is closed to cars. It included the high school Teachers' Lot, the Hamilton Avenue, City Hall and Lawn Avenue lots, the New Rochelle Transit Center Parking Garage, the New Roc City Garage, the Library South Parking Lot, and side streets off North Avenue. Expect a similar closure this year, and check the City's update before you drive.
There is also one new option for after the parade. The Journal News reported that The Andaluz Tapas & Wine opened in New Rochelle on October 16, owned by Diego Garcia and Marco Nieto. Its website lists 2 Memorial Highway. It is a tapas-and-wine room, a good fit for a slower lunch once the balloons are packed up. Check its hours, since it has been open only a few weeks.
The City's parade calendar entry still says "Stay tuned for more info," so check it again in the days before November 21.
Our team at HLRE follows New Rochelle closely, from North Avenue's storefronts to the blocks around them. If parade morning has you wondering how a nearby street or building fits your plans, we are glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
