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The 56th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1982) | The 57th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1983) | The 58th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1984) | 
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The 57th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held on November 24, 1983 in New York City, and was shown to viewers live on NBC that same day from 9 a.m. to noon EST. It was hosted by Bryant Gumbel and Sarah Purcell. Participating celebrities included the likes of Lynn Anderson, Peter Billingsley, Mary Jo Catlett, Tommy Tune, Twiggy, and Vanessa Williams.
Parade Lineup[]
Listed below are the Parade elements that appeared in the 1983 line of march. Each element is listed in their respective categories/sub-categories, with sponsors in bold.
Bold indicates a new Parade element, strikethrough indicates an element that was removed from the lineup and an * indicates a Parade element that was retired following the 1983 procession.
Balloons[]
- Bullwinkle Moose* (Macy's) - 23rd time
- Underdog (Macy's) - 19th time
- Olive Oyl (King Features) - 2nd time
Mickey Mouse* (Walt Disney Productions) - 13th time- Kermit the Frog (Henson Associates) - 7th time
- Woody Woodpecker (Walter Lantz Productions) - 2nd time
- Superman (DC Comics) - 4th time
- Linus the Lionhearted* (Macy's) - 20th time
- Yogi Bear (Hanna-Barbera) - 1st time
Floats[]
- Turkey (Macy's) - 11th time
- Showboat (Macy's) - 14th time
- Stetson is America* (John B. Stetson Company) - 3rd time
- America's Comic Stars (United Media Enterprises) - 1st time
- Strawberry Shortcake (American Greetings) - 3rd time
- Fraggle Rock (HBO & Henson Associates) - 1st time
- Shirt Tales (Hallmark) - 2nd time
- Doodlebug (Macy's) - 4th time
- Great American Dog (Purina Dog Chow) - 1st time
- Big Apple (The New York Daily News) - 2nd time
- The Old Country Village (Anheuser-Busch) - 2nd time
- The Pirate Ship* (Macy's) - 16th time
- The Magic Carousel* (Revlon) - 2nd time
- Frozen Woodland* (Sergio Valente) - 3rd time
- A Hanna-Barbera Christmas* (Hanna-Barbera) - 1st time
- Christmas Wagon (Macy's) - 15th time
- Santa's Sleigh (Macy's) - 6th time
Specialty Units[]
- NYPD Mounted Police - 57th time
- "Holiday Treat for Children Everywhere" Banner (Macy's) - 3rd time
- GMC Banner (GMC Trucks) - 2nd time
- "If You Haven't Seen Macy's, You Haven't Seen New York" Banner (Macy's) - 3rd time
- NYC Parks Mounted Unit - 1st time
Toy Floats[]
- Pilgrim Man & Woman (Macy's) - 9th time
- George Washington & Ben Franklin (Macy's) - 9th time
- Bear Bee (Macy's) - 11th time
- Rocking Tortoise (Macy's) - 5th time
- Rocking Lion (Macy's) - 5th time
- Snail (Macy's) - 8th time
- Rocking Horse (Macy's) - 10th time
- Airplane (Macy's) - 16th time
- Rocking Lobster (Macy's) - 4th time
- Rocking Kangaroo (Macy's) - 5th time
Marching Bands[]
- Warren County High School Pioneer Band (McMinnville, TN), performed "Brand New Day"
- City of Coventry Corps of Drums (Coventry, England), performed "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
- McDonald's All-American High School Band (Nationwide), performed "The Flying Theme" from E.T.
- Albertville High School Marching Aggie Band (Albertville, AL), performed "There's No Business Like Show Business"
- Acadiana High School Marching Band (Lafayette, LA), performed "On Broadway"
- Mililani High School Trojan Band (Mililani Town, HI)
- Miami Senior High School Million Dollar Band (Miami, FL), performed "New York, New York/Jingle Bell Rock"
- Liberty Baptist College Flames Marching Band (Lynchburg, VA)
- Queen's University Bands (Ontario, Canada)
- Wauzeka High School Marching Jays (Waseca, MN)
- Liberty High School Grenadier Band (Bethlehem, PA)
- Eastbrook Spirit Marching Band (Marion, IN)
Guest Stars[]
- Parade Official Jean McFaddin
- Charley Pride, sang "Down in Louisiana" (Turkey)
- NBC's Cast of We Got It Made sang "High Hopes" (Showboat)
- Special Olympics (Showboat)
- Peter Billingsley, sang "Talk to the Animals" (Rocking Tortoise)
- Lynn Anderson and the Ballet Folklorico of Mexico, performed "You Can't Lose What You Never Had" (Stetson is America)
- Ashford & Simpson, sang "It's Much Deeper" (Rocking Lion)
- Alfonso Ribeiro, sang "Dancing is Everything" (America's Comic Stars)
- Strawberry Shortcake and Friends, performed "Berry Best Friend" (Strawberry Shortcake)
- Mr. Smith and Leonard Frey (Excalibur Car)
- The Fraggles, performed "Fraggle Rock Theme" (Fraggle Rock)
- The Shirt Tales, performed "A Christmas Tree for You and Me" (Shirt Tales)
- Walter Lantz and Grace Lantz (Excalibur Car)
- Jon "Bowzer" Bauman, sang "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" (Rocking Lobster)
- Glenn Scarpelli, sang "Don't Mess Up This Good Thing" (Doodlebug)
- Eddie Albert, sang "It's Friendship" (The Great American Dog)
- Miss America 1984 Vanessa Williams, sang "New York, New York" (The Big Apple)
- Lou Rawls, sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" (The Old Country)
- Tommy Tune and Twiggy, sang "Little Jazz Bird" (Magic Carousel)
- The Boys Choir of Harlem, performed "White Christmas" (Frozen Woodland)
- Hanna-Barbera Characters, performed "The Cleanup Brigade" (Jellystone Christmas)
- Mary Jo Catlett, sang "I'm Giving Thanks" (Christmas Wagon)
- Santa Claus (Santa's Sleigh)
Specialty Characters[]
- The Berenstain Bears
- Spider-Man and Captain America (Showboat)
- Norfin Trolls
- Snoopy, Garfield and Friends (America's Comic Stars)
- Pac Man, Mrs. Pac Man and Baby Pac-Man
- Astrosnik
- Batman and Wonder Woman
- T.J. LUV
- Q*Bert
- Hagar the Horrid
- Macy Mouse and Honey Bear (Christmas Wagon)
Pre-Parade Acts[]
- Alvin and the Chipmunks, sang "Tomorrow"
- Ballet Hispánico of New York
- Lara Jill Miller, sang "Letting Your Feelings Show"
- Taking My Turn, performed "I’m Fine for The Shape I’m In"
- The Shirt Tales, performed "Have a Very Merry Christmas"
- National Dance Institute, performed "What a Feeling"
- Joey Lawrence with The Flintstones, sang "Jingle Bell Rock"
- Cats, performed "Memory"
Clowns[]
- Skating Clowns - 14th time
- Baby Clowns - 2nd time
- Rain Rag Ballet Clowns - 3rd time
Props[]
- Open Jogging Wheel - 4th time
- TV Props - 3rd time
- Bells Jogging Wheel - 3rd time
- Paddy Wagon - 6th time
- Outhouse, Fire Engine and Fire Pumper - 7th time
- Glitz Jogging Wheel - 3rd time
Trivia[]
- The night before the Parade, one of the Mickey Mouse balloon's hands exploded as a result of the inflation crew overinflating it. As a result, the balloon was removed from the line of march.