The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

You wake up on Thanksgiving Day morning, and there are so many special themed specials and shows to watch. There’s football, the National Dog Show, and then there is the Macy’s Day Parade. The Macy’s Thanksgiving parade is many people’s highlight in the entertainment department on Thanksgiving. Do you know where it is going to be? Do you know how it started? Do you know what’s going to happen to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year? Keep reading to find out!

Image from Disney Parks Blog

The First Parade 

This great American tradition started in 1924 when Macy’s store employees marched to Macy’s Herald Square, which was the flagship store on 34th Street, while dressed in vibrant costumes. Following behind them were floats, professional bands, and live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. At the end of the first parade, Santa Claus was welcomed into Herald Square, and while sitting on the 34th Street Macy’s location’s balcony, he was crowned the “King of the Kiddies” in front of 250,000 people.

 Image from USA.Today

Ragmuffin Parades

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade had enough success to take over Ragmuffin Day. Ragmuffin Day was an activity that children took part in during Thanksgiving, which was similar to trick-or-treating. By this time, Ragmuffin was annoying most parents and started facing backlash due to the Great Depression. Ragmuffin Parades would continue into the 1930s, competing with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade until the last Ragmuffin Parade happened in 1956.    

Creator: EDUARDO PATINO 

Copyright: 9/2009

Safety Changes

Many accidents have happened during the years of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. These include when the Sonic the Hedgehog Balloon hit a lamppost in Columbus Circle, which caused the balloon to be damaged, and the top of the lamppost to break off while inside the balloon, causing it to fall and injure an off-duty police officer and a child. During the 1997 parade wind pushed the Cat and the Hat balloon into a lamppost, and falling debris fell and hit a pedestrian on the head, and she suffered from being in a coma for 24 days. The M&M Balloon hit a lamppost and fell on two sisters. Then there were two times where balloons veered off and had to be stabbed by the NYPD before someone was injured. New safety measures were incorporated in 2006 to prevent accidents. One of these measures taken was the installation of wind measurement devices to alert parade organizers of unsafe conditions that could cause the balloons to cause injury. The balloons were only ever grounded in 1971. Other safety measures included eliminating larger balloons, the removal of lampposts on Parade routes, and both physical training and lessons in balloon physics for balloon handlers.   

Creator: Bryan R. Smith | Credit: AP

Balloons and Performers

Balloons were first introduced in 1927, replacing live zoo animals that were in the first parade, and then in 1928, they changed to using helium balloons so they would float. Then, in 1934, the first Mickey Mouse balloon was introduced: years later, more and more of America’s beloved characters would become balloons. The Parade has live music such as high school and college marching bands from across the country, up and coming singers and bands, and Broadway show cast members. Along with music, there is also dancing from many groups, such as the Rockettes and cheerleaders, and dancers chosen by the National Cheerleaders Association. Usually, the artists lip-sync their music due to the technical difficulties of singing into a wireless microphone in a moving float. Most artists lip sync while on a float, except for the Santa Sleighs Float and the Tom the Turkey Float.   The first celebrity appearance was in 1958.

Creator: PAGREENE 

Copyright: P.A.GREENE

Find a Balloon You Receive a Reward

In 1928, Sarg released 5 balloons which were set to leak helium out over the course of a week and then descend. If you found the balloon, the reward was $100, which was equivalent to $1,830 in 2024. In 1931 aviation pioneer Clarence Chamberlain decapitated a plane with his plane’s wingtip and received a $25 reward. The years to come, the reward became lower and lower, and in 1932 completely stopped due to when a novice pilot tried to do the same as Chamberlin and nearly crashed her plane. 

Creator: ©Burt Glinn/Magnum Photos | Credit: ©Burt Glinn/Magnum Photos

Fun Facts

The Parade has only been suspended once, and that was in 1942 -1944 due to World War ll, and in 2020, there were 88% fewer spectators, and social distancing was implemented. More than 44 million people watch the parade per year and in 2024, it was the most-watched television special of the year. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has won 9 Emmys in the category of Outstanding Achievements in Special Event Coverage since 1979. Then following the tragedy of 9/11, the Parade invited family members from the non-profit organization Tuesdays Children to cut the ribbon at the start of the parade along with the hosts. Some people have even used the Parade as a place to protest. Pro-Palestinian protesters wearing white jumpsuits covered in fake blood glued themselves to the ground on the parade’s route on 6th Avenue near 45th Street. The Thanksgiving Day Parade will be broadcast on NBC from 8:30 am Eastern Time to 12:00 pm Eastern Time. The Parade has been broadcast on NBC since 1953.       

Image from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki- Fandom 

Now that you know all about the magical Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, are you excited to watch it? Have you seen the Parade before? What is your favorite float? Comment Below!

Image from Good Housekeeping 

“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Sept. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macy%27s_Thanksgiving_Day_Parade.