The Funny Farm Truck is a clown vehicle from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
The Funny Farm Produce Truck made its debut in the 1994 Macy's Parade. Fashioned to evoke the look of a vintage pickup truck, the clown vehicle carried a bountiful feast of American-grown produce. The truck also hauled a wagon behind it, decorated with cornstalks and pumpkins for a hay ride along the Parade route. The Funny Farm Scarecrow Clowns escorted the produce truck down the streets of Manhattan. It has since become a perennial edition to the Parade's line of march, making over two decades worth of appearances.
Beginning in 2004, the clown vehicle would join several other Parade elements to create the "Funny Farm" unit. The Funny Farm Clowns broke out into a chicken dance as Rooster Stilt Walkers joined the high-spirited ranch hands, all in a flurry of leaf-shaped confetti.
The Funny Farm Truck was unable to appear in the 2020 Parade as a result of reduced participant numbers; it would, however, return to the line of march in 2021, and continues to make appearances as of 2023 with plenty of seasonal produce in tow.
During the 2023 procession, however, the Truck experienced technical difficulties for the first time in its nearly-20-year involvement with the Parade, as it was unable to move before starting the route, and was subsequently removed from the line of march.