Thanksgiving Day Parade Viewing (New York)

The Thanksgiving Day Parade is exponentially less magical when you're shivering on a sidewalk instead of watching from a sofa. Standing five rows deep at 6 AM delivers a view of balloon undersides and lip-syncing pop stars—a 40% chance of seeing nothing but the back of a stranger's parka. It is 15 degrees colder than the average parade experience, and the 2.5-mile route creates a bottleneck that even #2 Cherry Blossom Season cannot rival in crowd density. For the price of a $0 subway ride and a thermos of cocoa, you can watch the full broadcast without frostbite.