On Nov. 27, 1924 at 9 a.m., the first Macy’s parade started its way down a 6-mile route through the main streets of New York City. Since then, the parade route has been trimmed to 2.5 miles and the parade has grown, becoming one of the most beloved American traditions and bringing millions of people together every Thanksgiving morning.
“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” originated as the “Macy’s Christmas Parade,” and it was initiated to celebrate the opening of Macy’s new block-long department store in New York City and appeal to customers to go on a shopping spree before the Christmas season.
In its first year, the parade included animals from the Central Park Zoo, such as tigers, elephants, bears and monkeys. Floats modeled after nursery rhymes cruised down the route. The highlight of the parade was Santa Claus descending from his sleigh, unofficially signaling the arrival of the Christmas season.
Three years later, the parade was renamed the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” and its iconic balloons were introduced. For the parade’s first few years, balloons were released into the atmosphere instead of being deflated, a practice that came to a sudden halt in 1932 when a balloon got caught around an airplane wing and sent it into a 5,000-foot tailspin.
The only time the parade did not take place was from 1942-1944, during World War II. Instead of flying balloons those years, Macy’s president, Jack Strauss, donated hundreds of pounds of rubber balloon material to the war effort. The parade resumed in 1945 and has not taken a break since. In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the parade had no in-person audience but was still broadcast worldwide.
Over 50 million people watch the parade from home, and more than 3.5 million see it in New York City. The parade now includes everything from floats and balloons to marching bands, clown crews, performances from Broadway musical casts and, of course, a special performance by the Radio City Rockettes, a dance troupe from New York known for their signature high kicks.
New balloons that will be featured in this year’s parade include Minnie Mouse, Goku from “Dragon Ball Z” and Marshall from “Paw Patrol.” Spider-Man has a new balloon this year, set to make his first appearance since 2014. There will also be floats with characters such as Dora, SpongeBob Squarepants and Haribo gummies.
Snoopy, who has appeared on the most balloons in the parade’s history, will also be in the parade this year. In 1968, he first appeared as a flying ace. A year later, to celebrate Apollo 11’s moon landing, an astronaut Snoopy balloon was flown. Snoopy’s ninth iteration in balloon form—Snoopy as a beagle scout—was released in 2023 and will fly again this year.
There are many performances to look forward to this year, including casts of the Broadway musicals “Death Becomes Her,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Outsiders.” Additionally, musical performances on floats will include celebrities such as The Temptations, Charlie D'Amelio, Dan + Shay, Jimmy Fallon and many more.
This year’s parade has something for everyone. “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” will air on NBC and Peacock on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28, starting at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
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