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The poster for the parade in 1999.
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The Finn and Jake balloon in the parade.
The Underdog Balloon
The Popeye Balloon
The Bullwinkle J. Moose Balloon from 1961
The Clifford the Big Red Dog Balloon from 1990
The Pink Panther Balloon
The Garfield Balloon from 1984
The SpongeBob SquarePants Balloon from 2004
The Honey Nut Cheerios Bee Balloon from 1999
The Healthy Mr. Potato Head Balloon from 2005
The Arthur Balloon from 1997
The Big Bird Balloon from 2001
The Super Grover Balloon from 2003
The Donald Duck Balloon from 1962
The Snuggle Bear Balloon from 1987
The Sonic the Hedgehog Balloon from 1993
The Shrek Balloon
The current balloon of Kermit the Frog
The Yogi Bear Balloon from 1983
The Buzz Lightyear Balloon
The Woody Woodpecker Balloon from 1982
The Bugs Bunny Balloon
The Flying Ace Snoopy Balloon from 2006
The Mickey Mouse Balloon from 1934
The Ronald McDonald Balloon
Thomas the Tank Engine from 2014
Barney the Dinosuar from 1994
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual event held in New York City by the American department store chain Macy's. It is the world's largest parade, and its second-oldest, having started in 1924. The event is held in Manhattan from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Thanksgiving Day and has been televised nationally on NBC since 1952.
History
The annual Thanksgiving Day parade has its origins in an earlier parade held in Newark, New Jersey and presented by Bamberger's. This parade was transferred to Macy's and to New York in 1924. As has been the case with every parade since, the first Macy's Parade featured floats, professional bands, employees dressed in vibrant costumes, and concluded with the arrival of Santa Claus into Herald Square. However, unlike today's parades, there were live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo.
The live animals were replaced in 1927 by large animal-shaped balloons produced by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The annual festivities were broadcast on New York's local radio stations from 1932 to 1941, and then from 1945 to 1951. The parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944 due to World War II, when the rubber and helium used for the balloons was needed for the war effort. It resumed in 1945, and became known nationwide through a prominent appearance in the movie Miracle on 34th Street and broadcasts on network television.
Balloons and floats
One of the most iconic features of the Macy's Parade is its balloons, which are usually full-sized and modeled after licensed pop culture characters. The first licensed character balloon, modeled after Felix the Cat, appeared in 1927. Mickey Mouse first entered the parade seven years later, in 1934, and three additional balloons of the character have been made since then.
Other characters that have been licensed into Macy's Parade balloons over the years have included Snoopy (with seven versions), Ronald McDonald (with four versions), Popeye, Smokey Bear, Kermit the Frog, Woody Woodpecker, Garfield, Raggedy Ann, Betty Boop, Spider-Man, Snuggle Bear, Big Bird, the Pink Panther, Bugs Bunny, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Sonic the Hedgehog, Barney the Dinosaur, the Cat in the Hat, Peter Rabbit, Curious George, Pikachu, SpongeBob SquarePants, Scooby-Doo, Dora the Explorer, Mr. Potato Head, Hello Kitty, and Buzz Lightyear.
Macy's has also featured its own "novelty balloons," which are smaller in size and are handled by up to 30 people, whereas the larger character balloons are handled by up to 90.
Another key component of the parade is its magnificent floats, decorated platforms built on vehicles which often feature famous celebrities and musicians. The oldest and most recurring, Tom Turkey, was introduced in 1971. The parade has featured floats based on Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, the Care Bears, Barney & Friends, Delta Airlines, Animal Planet, Fisher-Price, Barbie, and M&M's, among other brands. Macy's, likewise, has created its own floats, including Santaland Express, the Marion Carole Showboat, and a "Gift of Freedom" float featuring the Statue of Liberty.
There are also float-based balloons, called "falloons," which were introduced in 1990; and self-powered balloon vehicles, called "balloonicles," which were introduced in 2004.
Performers and acts
College and high school marching bands from across the country participate in the parade, and the television broadcasts also feature performances by established and up-and-coming singers and bands, as well as performances by the casts of Broadway shows. The Rockettes of Radio City Music Hall are a classic performance as well, having performed annually since 1957 as the last of the pre-parade music acts to perform. Also featured are cheerleaders and dancers chosen by the National Cheerleaders Association from various high schools across the country. The last person to appear in the parade is Santa Claus, who concludes the event by arriving into Herald Square to ring in the Christmas and holiday season.