Among thousands of parades, few enjoy such notoriety and widespread-relevance as the iconic five-mile-long Macy’s Annual Thanksgiving Parade in New York City with 3.5 million live-spectators and 30 million television viewers. However, this year’s Macy’s parade, which was held on November 29th from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM in downtown Manhattan, took place in a grand fashion never seen before, as it marked the 100th anniversary of the first parade held in 1924.
Originally, the 1924 parade had few similarities with the parades that succeeded it. The first parade consisted of entertainment men with live circus animals performing various tricks, instead of the balloon float procession that takes place through the streets of downtown Manhattan currently. Another key difference between the modern Macy’s parade and the 1924 parade was the time of year it took place. The original parade was intended to be a promotion of the Christmas offers of Macy’s and took place in late December,
This endeavor proved to be a great success. After experiencing a boost of sales and brand recognition, Macy’s executives decided to organize a much larger parade during the Thanksgiving season of 1925, with inflatable helium balloons of cartoon characters, with the likes of Mickey Mouse, replacing the live circus animals of the first parade.
These changes were well-received and increased viewer turnout and the parade’s popularity across the nation, with its first radio and television broadcasts taking place in 1932 and 1948 respectively. The Macy’s Annual Thanksgiving Parade has continued ever since, with minor interruptions only taking place during World War II, when helium was being conserved for the war effort, and in 2020, due to Covid-19 restrictions limiting attendance.
In celebration of the centennial parade, the New York City based department store expanded the parade’s trajectory throughout the city and increased the number of balloon floats participating. Common attractions at the parade included live celebrity performances, such as the Rockettes, who have been a feature since 1957. This year’s participants included the Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree Choir, the Rangerettes, and several other Broadway actors. The special balloons included: Spider Man, Daffy Duck, Santa Claus and his 5 Elves, Gabby, and many other recent cartoon characters. Bands from 11 universities and high schools across the nation were selected after a 18 month selection process during which the Macy’s Parade Band Selection Committee tested their talent and capability to perform various songs and melodies.
