The Rocking Giraffe is a toy float that originates from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and is one in a series of many "rocking" animal toy floats.[1]
History with the Macy's Parade[]
The Rocking Giraffe made its Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade debut in the 1962 Parade, as a twist on the traditional Rocking Horse children's toy. The toy float features a larger-than-life giraffe keeping its head held high as it wobbled down the Parade route. The original Rocking Giraffe float made five consecutive appearances, and was retired after the 1968 procession.
A new Rocking Giraffe was constructed and debuted in the 1970 Parade, painted to give off a much more kid-friendly appearance. The float became a Parade staple over the next eight years, continuing to delight children and adults alike. In 1978, the Rocking Giraffe was unable to start its march and was left at the staging area as the rest of the Parade resumed down Broadway. It was eventually forgotten by the Parade Studio team, who arrived the following Monday to pick it back up. By the time the crew reached 77th Street, the head of the giraffe was stolen. As a result, the toy float was retired from the line of march.
Over 30 years after the original Rocking Giraffe toy float was retired, a brand-new Rocking Giraffe float debuted in the 2010 Macy's Parade. Modeled closely after the original, the new giraffe is several stories tall and has a mane constructed of industrial broom bristles. Macy's Parade Studio carpenter, John Cheney commented on the giraffe's tail in a 2014 interview, saying "the tail is just a rope, and you have to be sort of a hair dresser to be a parade worker I suppose,” explaining the process of grooming the giraffe's tail.
The Rocking Giraffe float was temporarily retired after the 2015 Parade, but returned to the line of march in 2017. Since then, the Rocking Giraffe has become commonplace in the annual procession, and is often escorted down the Parade route by the Safari Clowns.
Guest Stars[]
Listed below are the guest stars that have performed/appeared on the float, alongside the respective songs which they sang during the NBC Telecast.
Rocking Giraffe (1970)[]
- 1970 - Jeannie C. Riley, sang "Games People Play"
- 1972 - Tommy Cash
- 1976 - Woody Woodpecker
- 1977 - Wally Amos
- 1978 - Margo Smith, sang "Don't Break the Heart that Loves You"
Notes[]
- ↑ Images credit: Macy's, Inc.; The Bill Smith Collection; Eugene Gologursky