The Artist Clowns are a teen clown unit from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
The Artist Clowns painted their first picture-perfect Parade in 2004, debuting as a tribute to the creativity and talent of the artisans who work year-round at the Macy's Parade Studio. Aptly, the clown unit escorted the winner of the Design-a-Balloon contest sponsored by Delta Air Lines—a quirky turkey design—down Broadway. The clown unit was one of the first teen clown units to appear in the Parade, and features colorful clowns in paint-splattered artist smocks and black berets, carrying a buckets of paint naturally filled to the brim with confetti.
In 2018, the clown unit did not travel the 2.5-mile route due to the frigid temperatures, opting instead to join the lineup at 36th Street to march in front of the NBC cameras.
The Artist Clowns were unable to appear in the reimagined 2020 Parade because of COVID-19 restrictions barring those under the age of 18 from participating, though they would later return to the parade lineup in 2021 and continue to make appearances as of 2022.
Trivia[]
- Some of the Artist Clown costumes were worn by make-up artists at face-painting stations at the 2011 Petacular Fair.