The Jester Clowns are a clown unit from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
The original Jester Clowns first appeared in the 1997 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, recreating a lighter side of the Middle Ages with black-and-white and red-and-yellow clown suits, oversized chaperons, and tabards bearing a Macy's coat of arms. This iteration of the group retired after the 2005 Parade.
In 2006, the Jester Clowns were reintroduced with new costumes and two Jester Stilt Walkers. The new outfits were fit for a king and featured pin-striped suits, ruffs, and diamond-patterned jester hats, in addition to oversized shoes. The clown court appeared through 2011 and were temporarily retired, with their costumes being reused for the Clown Drivers of toy floats.
The Jester Clowns returned in 2016, now escorting the Queen of Hearts along the Parade route. Other new additions added in the years since include Hearts recycled from Build-A-Bear's Discover Adventure! float, which were eventually replaced by clowns dressed as the Queen of Heart's Card Guards in 2023. The hearts were consequently used that year by members from St. John's Dance Team during Cher's marquee performance.