You might want to pace yourself if you plan on visiting New York City this November (and we’re not only talking about the 40,000 runners expected to hit the streets for the New York Marathon on Nov. 3!).

That’s one of things you must do while in the Big Apple because there’s so much to do and see in New York next month as the holidays draw near, we wouldn’t want you to burn out before you see any of the following great events!

• ING New York City Marathon (Sunday, Nov. 3)— Even if the thought of running a marathon is enough to make you want to take a nap, it’s a truly exciting experience to cheer on the thousands of runners in the New York City Marathon. This race attracts top runners and wheelchair athletes from all around the world, and every year New Yorkers and visitors alike gather along the route to ring the complimentary cowbells for them in the home stretch. The ING New York Marathon starts on Staten Island in the morning and travels through all five boroughs, ending in Central Park a few hours later. We recommend finding a spot along the east side of Central Park (which is spectacular right now with Fall colors on full display!). And don’t be shy to yell out the runners‘ names; they wear them right on their shirt, so you can give them a personalized boost just when they need it the most!
• Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Nov. 28) — The biggest event in New York City in November is always the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And this year marks the 87th anniversary of this exciting celebration that kicks off the holiday season in NYC.  The lineup for the parade has yet to be announced, but you can expect marching bands, celebrity guests and the parade’s signature massive balloonicles (yes, that’s what they’re really called!). The 2.5-mile parade route begins at 77th Street and Central Park West at 9 a.m., and heads south along the park to Sixth Avenue, and then on to Herald Square, the home of Macy’s flagship store on 34th St. Keep in mind, early risers start camping out at prime viewing spots at 6 a.m.!
• Macy’s Parade Balloon Inflation (Nov. 27) — Many New Yorkers who wouldn’t think of joining the throngs on Thanksgiving morning for the big parade, opt instead to see the balloons be inflated the night before. It’s an exciting spectacle to see Snoopy slowly lifting off the pavement on the streets surrounding the American Museum of Natural History. For the best views, join the slowly moving lineup of onlookers at 79th Street and Columbus Avenue around dinnertime (if you go earlier, it will be less crowded, but Buzz Lightyear will barely be off the ground!).
• Jewels by JAR at the Met (Opens Nov. 20) — If bling is your thing, then you don’t want to miss a new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art this November. “Jewels by JAR” features more than 400 works by one of the most acclaimed jewelry designers of the last 35 years: Joel A. Rosenthal, who works in Paris under the name JAR. The pieces on display at the Met are all made from exquisite gem stones, including diamonds, sapphires, garnets, topazes, tourmalines, and citrines.
• “Gilded New York” at the Museum of the City of New York (Opens Nov. 13) — Another new exhibit in NYC this November looks at the luxe life of certain 19th-century New Yorkers at the Museum of the City of New York. “Gilded New York” lets you marvel at the conspicuous consumption of the “New American Aristocracy” up close, featuring as many as 100 glamorous costumes, jewelry, portraits and even household objects from those famed titans of industry: the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers and the Goulds, among others.
• Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Opens Nov. 8 and runs through Dec. 30) —  Another of New York City’s most beloved holiday traditions is the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, which features such classic routines as the Rockettes’ “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “The Living Nativity” — the show’s pinnacle since it first opened at Radio City Music Hall in 1933. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is a 90-minute revue that combines singing, dancing and comedy in spectacular stage settings that even include a double-decker bus and a chorus line of high-kicking reindeer. If you’re planning a trip to NYC during the holidays, this show is definitely a must-see!
• New Broadway shows! — A huge number of new Broadway productions are opening in November. Comedian Billy Crystal’s autobiographical one-man show 700 Sundays opens Nov. 13 at the Imperial Theater for a limited 54-performance run. Meanwhile A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (opening Nov. 17 at the Walter Kerr Theatre) also promises to be a hilarious night out at the theater, featuring a funny tale about how family money and homicide can come between a line of heirs. The classic Samuel Beckett play Waiting For Godot opens Nov. 24, starring esteemed actors Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, who will also appear in Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land in repertory at the Cort Theatre. The Belasco Theatre, meanwhile, will stage two Shakespeare plays in the classical custom: with an all-male cast playing both male and female roles, accompanied by music played live on traditional instruments and lit by 100 on-stage candles. Performed in repertory (an alternating nights) Tony Award-winner Mark Rylance (Jerusalem, Boeing-Boeing) will star in turn as the suddenly love-struck noblewoman Olivia in Twelfth Night and as the title monarch in Richard III.
• “WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and its Aftermath” at the Brooklyn Museum (opening Nov. 8) — Lest all this merrymaking and holiday fun has you too cheery this November in NYC, this new exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum will bring you back down to earth. “WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY” at the Brooklyn Museum is an unprecedented collection of 400 photographic prints, books, magazines, albums, and camera equipment that chronicle 166 years of conflict around the world. This new exhibit brings together both iconic images and never-before-seen photographs taken by members of the military, commercial portraitists, journalists, amateurs, artists, and numerous Pulitzer Prize–winning photographers.

What event would be enough to get you to New York City this November?

Thanks to Asterio Tecson for this photo of the New York City Marathon.