The 2026 New Rochelle Thanksgiving Parade steps off Saturday, November 21, at 10 a.m. It runs on North Avenue from Eastchester Road to Bonnefoy Place, according to the City of New Rochelle's event calendar. The calendar listing links to one more thing, a volunteer signup on Volunteer New York posted by the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce.
That signup sheet shows how the parade actually works. The Chamber produces it, and its members have built it up over six decades. But on the morning itself, volunteers carry the giant balloons and banners down the street. As of early November, the warm, short shifts were already full. The balloons, the biggest job in the parade, still had the most open spots.
The signup sheet, role by role
The listing has four volunteer roles, all on November 21, rain or shine. Volunteers must stay for the full shift and can't leave until they're dismissed. This is where each role stood when the page was checked on November 2:
| Role | Shift | Spots | Status on Nov. 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Chocolate Table | 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. | 8 | Full, waitlist open |
| Parade Support | 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. | 5 | Full, waitlist open |
| Balloon Holders | 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | 130 | 82 open |
| Banner Holders | 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | 32 | 24 open |
All 13 spots behind tables were taken by November 2. Those volunteers set up the hot chocolate station, pour and restock, check people in, hand out T-shirts and mark the division areas where marching groups line up. Balloon and banner holders have the longer shift and the harder job. They attend training on site, help set up, walk the entire route and then take everything down. The listing says they must be "comfortable performing physical labor" and able to walk 1.5 miles. No experience is needed. Each holder wears a shirt that matches their balloon or banner.
The scale stands out against the last full count. After the 2024 parade, the City's newsletter reported more than 125 volunteers alongside 107 marching groups in four divisions, eight balloons, 10 bands and nine floats. In 2026, the balloon crew alone has room for 130, which is about the size of the whole 2024 volunteer corps.
A business-community event carried by residents
The Chamber's name is on the signup page because the Chamber and the City put on the parade together. Rob Hayes, the Chamber's president and owner of The Beechmont Tavern, described the parade's growth in a 2025 announcement published by Talk of the Sound:
"The New Rochelle Thanksgiving Parade is a NR Chamber and City tradition. It's evolved from a small night-time Thanksgiving Eve event to become the 2nd largest Thanksgiving Parade in the state."
In the same statement, Hayes thanked Chamber members "past and present" for bringing the parade to New Rochelle "while enhancing the economic and business life of the City." Local businesses are part of the funding, too. Last year the City's 2025 announcement named Treehouse Play Place as presenting sponsor and called the New Rochelle Downtown BID an annual supporter and Gold Sponsor. The 2025 Chamber announcement also offered sponsorships "including for balloons."
Sponsors help pay for the balloons. On parade morning, volunteers in matching shirts get trained on site and then walk those balloons from Eastchester Road to Bonnefoy Place.
What last year's parade looked like on North Avenue
Every detail below is from the 2025 parade, held Saturday, November 22, 2025. It's the most recent version of the event and the best guide to what November 21 will feel like.
The balloons. The 2025 lineup included Mighty Mouse, Tom the Turkey, Bugs Bunny and Scooby-Doo. Patch also listed Curious George. Mighty Mouse and Tom the Turkey were in the 2024 lineup as well, along with Peppa Pig.
The grand marshal. Chris Selin, a former City Council representative and former president of the New Rochelle Library Foundation, led the 2025 parade. Talk of the Sound covered her selection. Ray Rice was grand marshal in 2024 and rode on a float with his family.
The marchers. The City advertised 11 bands, 10 floats, vintage cars, dancers, singers and motorcycles. Marchers came from Iona University, Monroe University, local schools, businesses and community groups. The floats included a storybook float, an NRHS Homecoming float and a superhero float from Capes for a Cos. Santa was on the program too.
The grandstand. Performances took place at a grandstand near Anderson Plaza in the Vanguard District. The parade was recorded for broadcast on NRTV over Thanksgiving weekend.
Planning the morning around last year's playbook
If the 2026 parade follows the 2025 setup, the morning goes roughly like this:
- 8:00 a.m. Hot chocolate and parade support volunteers check in. Balloon and banner crews arrive at 8:30 for training and setup, according to the 2026 shift times.
- Before 10:00 a.m. Park and find a spot on North Avenue. In 2025, North Avenue was closed to traffic. Parking was available at the New Rochelle High School Teachers' Lot, the Hamilton Avenue lot, the City Hall lot, the Lawn Avenue lot, the New Rochelle Transit Center garage, the New Roc City garage, the Library South lot and side streets off North Avenue.
- 10:00 a.m. The parade steps off at Eastchester Road and heads toward Bonnefoy Place, with performances near Anderson Plaza along the way.
- 12:30 p.m. Balloon and banner shifts end once everything is cleaned up and taken down.
If you'd rather stay warm, last year's watch parties were at Beechmont Tavern, Smokehouse Tailgate Grill, Toastique, The Mirage and Spectators Sports Pub and Restaurant. If you park at Library South, the Main Library's Lumen Winter Gallery is close by. Its all-ages exhibit, "Art and Artifact," draws on the library's archival art and illustration collection and runs through December 4, according to the New Rochelle Public Library's events calendar.
Signing up for a rope
Volunteers can be 14 or older. Anyone under 18 needs to submit the youth waiver linked on the listing. The listing asks volunteers to sign up for only one role. Anyone who signs up for more than one will be placed wherever the need is greatest. Use a personal email address, since school email servers may block messages. The exact meeting address arrives by email after you sign up, and the page lists the location as New Rochelle, 10804. Balloon holders can also sign up as a family, group or team.
The hot chocolate and parade support shifts have waitlists. On November 2, the open spots were on the balloon and banner crews: 82 of 130 for balloons and 24 of 32 for banners, for anyone ready to walk a mile and a half of North Avenue in a matching shirt.
At Totally Westchester, we love the local traditions that only happen because neighbors show up for them, and the New Rochelle parade is one of the best. If you're walking with a balloon this year or just found your spot near Anderson Plaza, we'd love to hear about it. And when you're ready to talk about your own next chapter in Westchester, we're here to help you Start Your Westchester Move.