Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades

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Another thing I loved was watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Just for fun I have some of these parades tapped on video so I can get to see them if I want. It is fun to watch all of the old actors and actresses appear on the tape. Do any of you go to the parade? Mom and I never did we watched it at home while I prepared the meal. • It all began in 1924 and has been a tradition ever since. Every year over 3.5 million people gather on the streets to watch the parade, 50 million watch it on TV and of course there are those who live in Manhattan and are lucky enough to view it from their windows. This year you can find information online of hotels along the route at which you can stay and view the parade in warmth and comfort. • In 1924 the very first Macy’s parade actually took place on Christmas. The employees who worked at Macy’s dressed up in different costumes such as cowboys and clowns. They were accompanied by Central Park zoo animals and had creative floats made up. The parade went along for six miles from 145th Street in Harlem to Macy’s in Herald Square. • It was such a success and was attended by over 250,000 people that Macy’s decided to make it an annual event. In 1927 it became the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. • The very first giant balloon was inflated in 1927 and it was Felix the Cat. At that time because the balloon was filled with helium and no one had a plan on how to deflate it Felix was allowed to simply float away into the sky after the parade. Unfortunately for Felix not long afterwards he popped. • In the following years balloons continued to drift away into the sky but had a return address listed on them so whoever found a balloon could return it to Macy’s and get a reward of $50. It was a plan but not a very successful one. • Up until 1939 floats in the parade were pulled by horses. • Over the years balloons changed in many ways. Full-sized balloons were usually 5 to 6 stories high, 60 feet long, and 30 feet wide. Mickey Mouse made his debut in 1934 and Donald Duck followed in 1962. Nowadays around 2-3 thousand volunteers are required to handle these huge balloons as each separate balloon needs 50 volunteers. A police officer marches along with each balloon. • When WW II began the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was suspended because rubber and helium were needed for the war. All of the parade balloons were melted down into 650 pounds of rubber. • Ever since 1945 the parade has had a definite route starting at 77th Street and Central Park West and ending at Macy’s. This year the parade will also include 6th Avenue. • The parade got more popular after footage from the 1946 parade was featured in one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time “Miracle on 34th Street”. • Macy’s parade was featured on TV for the very first time in 1948 on CBS. • Since 1952 the official TV broadcaster of the parade has been NBC. Other things which have changed are that at first the parade went for only an hour, then in 1961 for two hours, and finally by 1969 it was three hours long. • For the very first time in 1957 the famous dancers the Rockettes from Radio City appeared in the parade and remained a permanent fixture every year. • There was a helium shortage two years in 1958 and in 2006 and this meant less balloons in the parade. • Since 1980 Broadway show appearances have been part of the parade. The very first was the cast of “The Pirates of Penzance”. This year’s parade will feature five Broadway performances. • Throughout the years Macy’s has learned that the huge balloons can also be dangerous. The most serious accident happened in 1997 and as a result of this they had to implement balloon size restrictions. That year there were high winds and the Cat in the Hat wound up being pushed into a lamp post. As a result of which falling debris fractured the skull of 33 year old Kathleen Caronna who spent a month in a coma. In 2006 wind measurement devices were installed so that parade organizers would be alerted to unsafe balloon flying conditions. • After the terrorist attacks on 9/11 Macy’s put back the old Harold the Fireman balloon from 1948 into the parade to commemorate all those firemen who had helped in the aftermath of the attacks. For more information and incredible pictures: