For students and staff at the university not leaving to visit family, Thanksgiving break can be an odd time. Many friends are out of town, the city is quiet, and things can get boring pretty quickly. For those who, for whatever reason, will be hanging around the university this Thanksgiving break, there are plenty of things to do in Manhattan and nearby towns to keep you busy.

The most obvious activity is the Thanksgiving Day Parade. The annual event started in 1927 and is still going strong. Features include giant balloons, floats, marching bands, dance troupes, and a variety of celebrities. Although children enjoy the supersized floats depicting their favorite cartoon characters, the parade is for people of all ages and is a must attend event for those who have never witnessed it. It does get crowded though, so if you want a good view of the street you should show up early. This year there is a new parade route, as follows: The parade starts at 77th Street and Central Park West, heads south down Central Park West until it reaches Columbus Circle at 59th Street, turns east at Columbus Circle along Central Park South, turns south at 7th Avenue, and continues along 7th Avenue through Times Square until 42nd Street. At 42nd Street the route turns east for one block until 6th Avenue, turns and continues south on 6th Avenue to finish in front of Macy’s in Herald Square at 34th Street. For those who don’t want to go through the parade madness, they can watch the floats being inflated the night before. Crowds gather near Columbus Avenue and 77th Street to see floats, including crowd favorites such as Snoopy, Pikachu, and Buzz Lightyear, before the main event.

If you want to indulge in another seasonal tradition, you can check out the Rockettes at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Although the Rockettes are the most well-known aspect of the show, there is also the parade of the wooden soldiers and a live nativity scene. If you’d rather just check out the creatures for free, the animals from the nativity scene, which include camels and donkeys, are walked around the block daily at 7 a.m.

Central Park always offers up things to do, even when the weather gets chilly. Besides simply walking around and enjoying the variety of views, you can stop at the Central Park Zoo, which will still be open. Many of the creatures, such as the penguins, snow leopard, sea lions, and polar bears, are fine with the colder weather and will be as active as any other time of year. If you’d like to try out your ice skating skills, visit Wollman Rink, which is located near the 62nd Street entrance. Take advantage of the rink’s late weekend hours and avoid the crowds by going after 7 p.m. Weather permitting, you can also rent a row boat at the Boathouse between 10 a.m. and dusk. Boats are only $12 an hour, but the Boathouse only takes cash.

There are also quick daytrips available for those of you who want to escape the city, but don’t want to travel too far. Atlantic City is already a popular Thanksgiving destination, and the new Aces trains providing direct service from Penn Station makes getting there even easier. Tickets are $29 each way. Once you reach Atlantic City, the buffets and restaurants offer Thanksgiving-themed meals for those who want to maintain tradition. There are two ways to lose your money in Atlantic City: gambling and shopping. Many casinos will have special Thanksgiving promotions and giveaways for people gambling at their establishments. And on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, the Atlantic City outlets have huge sales on their already discounted products.

If you’re looking for a dose of culture, you can visit Beacon, NY. Beacon is a small, artsy town located on the Hudson. Besides spectacular views and hiking, it also has a main street with lots of interesting shops and restaurants. One of the main draws of the town is the Dia:Beacon museum, which houses the Dia Art Foundation’s permanent but (until now) rarely seen collection of art from the 1960s to the present. It is currently the premiere viewing space for modern and contemporary art. Beacon is accessible by the Metro-North train, and the 80-min ride costs $24; the special roundtrip fare plus entrance to the museum is only $27.75.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of activities and cool places to visit in NYC and the surrounding areas during the Thanksgiving holiday. If none of these daytrips appeal to you, hopefully you will find a staycation that fits your needs!