History of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Timeline

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade held in Manhattan, New York City, since 1924. Presented by Macy's, it's one of the oldest Thanksgiving parades in the U.S. The three-hour parade, ending at Macy's Herald Square, runs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST on Thanksgiving Day. It has been nationally televised on NBC since 1953, becoming a Thanksgiving tradition for many Americans.

1920: First Gimbels Thanksgiving Parade in Philadelphia

In 1920, the nation's oldest Thanksgiving parade, the Gimbels parade (now known as the 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade), was first held in Philadelphia.

1924: First Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

In 1924, the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place, making it the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States, tying with Detroit's parade. It was held in Manhattan and ended outside Macy's Herald Square.

1924: Inaugural Parade and Crowning of Santa

In 1924, the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held. Store employees dressed in costumes, accompanied by floats, bands, and live animals, marched to Macy's Herald Square, where Santa Claus was welcomed and crowned "King of the Kiddies." The parade was a success, drawing over 250,000 people, and was declared an annual event.

1927: Introduction of Balloons

In 1927, balloons were introduced to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, replacing the live zoo animals that were featured in the first parade.

1928: Switch to Helium Balloons

In 1928, Macy's switched from inflating the balloons with air to using helium for the parade's balloons, making them float.

1928: Balloon Release and Reward

In 1928, Sarg released five balloons from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with a reward of $100 (equivalent to $1,830 in 2024) for whoever found them.

1931: Clarence Chamberlin Decapitates a Balloon

In 1931, aviation pioneer Clarence Chamberlin spotted a dragon balloon midair from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, decapitated it with a wingtip, and claimed a $25 award.

1932: First Radio Broadcast

From 1932, the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade was broadcast on local radio stations in New York City.

1932: Santa Leads the Parade

In 1932, Santa Claus led the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (the only time he did so).

1932: End of Balloon Release Practice

In 1932, the practice of releasing balloons from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ended after a novice pilot nearly crashed her plane attempting to retrieve one.

1933: Parade Crowds Exceed One Million

In 1933, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade attracted crowds of over one million people lining the parade route, signifying the growing popularity of the event.

1933: Warmest Parade Temperature

In 1933, the temperature during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was 69 °F (20.5 °C), making it the warmest parade on record.

1934: Introduction of Mickey Mouse Balloon

In 1934, the first Mickey Mouse balloon was introduced into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, marking the beginning of character balloons becoming a staple of the parade.

1941: Radio Broadcast Ended

In 1941, the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade radio broadcasts were suspended.

1942: Parade Suspended Due to World War II

In 1942, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was suspended due to World War II, as rubber and helium were needed for the war effort.

1944: Parade Still Suspended Due to World War II

In 1944, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade remained suspended due to World War II.

1945: Parade Resumes After WWII

In 1945, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade resumed after being suspended during World War II.

1945: Radio Broadcast Resumed

In 1945, the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade radio broadcasts resumed.

1946: Footage for "Miracle on 34th Street"

In 1946, the festivities from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade were used as footage for the 1947 film "Miracle on 34th Street".

1947: Parade Featured in "Miracle on 34th Street"

In 1947, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was prominently featured in the film "Miracle on 34th Street," including footage from the 1946 festivities, helping it gain nationwide recognition.

1948: First Network Television Broadcast

In 1948, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade had its first broadcast on network television, expanding its audience significantly.

1951: End of Radio Broadcast

In 1951, the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade radio broadcasts ended.

1953: First National Telecast on NBC

In 1953, NBC began nationally televising the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, increasing its reach and popularity across the country.

1956: Last Ragamuffin Parade in New York City

In 1956, the last ragamuffin parade took place in New York City. These parades were overwhelmed by the popularity and competition from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

1957: The Rockettes' First Annual Performance

Since 1957, The Rockettes of Radio City Music Hall have performed annually in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as the last pre-parade act, followed by a commercial break.

1958: First Celebrity Performance Added

In 1958, the Benny Goodman sextet joined the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, marking the addition of the first celebrity performances to the event.

1964: Transition to Lip Sync Begins

In 1964, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began transitioning to lip sync due to technical and logistical difficulties with live music performances on moving stages.

1971: Balloons Grounded

In 1971, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons were grounded, which marks the only time it has happened.

1980: End of Goodyear Balloon Production

In 1980, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio stopped producing Sarg's large animal-shaped balloons for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

1984: Raven Industries Begins Balloon Production

From 1984, Raven Industries of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, through its Raven Aerostar division, began producing the balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

1985: NYPD Highway Patrol Leads Parade

Since 1985, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has traditionally been led by the New York City Police Department Highway Patrol.

1993: Sonic the Hedgehog Balloon Accident

During the 1993 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, strong winds pushed the Sonic the Hedgehog balloon into a lamppost at Columbus Circle, injuring a child and an off-duty police officer.

1997: Cat in the Hat Balloon Incident and Safety Regulations

During the 1997 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, high winds caused the Cat in the Hat balloon to strike a lamppost, injuring a parade-goer. The Barney the Dinosaur and Pink Panther balloons also experienced issues. As a result, Mayor Rudy Giuliani formed a task force, and new safety regulations were implemented, including balloon size restrictions, lamppost modifications, and handler training.

1997: Safety Regulations Imposed

In 1997, a New York City law was imposed that prohibits Macy's from flying full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 20 knots (23 mph) or wind gusts exceed 30 knots (35 mph).

2002: Macy's Holiday Parade at Universal Orlando Resort

Since 2002, Macy's Studios partnered with Universal Orlando Resort to bring balloons and floats from New York City to the theme park in Florida every holiday season in an event known as the Macy's Holiday Parade. The parade is performed daily and includes the iconic Santa Claus float.

2005: M&M's Balloon Collision with Streetlight

During the 2005 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the M&M's balloon collided with a streetlight in Times Square, causing parts of the light to fall and injure two sisters. This incident led to the incorporation of new safety measures in subsequent parades.

2005: Introduction of Blue Sky Gallery

Since 2005, the "Blue Sky Gallery" has transformed the works of contemporary artists into full-size balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

2006: Macy's Sponsorship of Celebrate the Season Parade

In 2006, Macy's began sponsoring the Celebrate the Season Parade in Pittsburgh after buying the Kaufmann's store chain, which had sponsored the parade prior to 2006.

2006: New Safety Measures Implemented

In 2006, new safety measures were incorporated into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to prevent accidents, including wind measurement devices and procedures to keep balloons closer to the ground during windy conditions.

2006: Wettest Parade on Record

The 2006 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was the wettest on record, with 1.72" (49 mm) of rain.

2007: I.A.T.S.E. Strike Affects Broadway Performances

The 2007 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place during a strike by the I.A.T.S.E. (a stagehands' union). Legally Blonde, the only performing musical affected by the strike, performed in show logo shirts, with makeshift props and no sets.

2009: New Parade Route Established

In 2009, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade established a new route that eliminated Broadway. Starting from 77th Street and Central Park West, the parade went south along Central Park to Columbus Circle, then east along Central Park South, turning at 7th Avenue south to Times Square. At 42nd Street, the parade turned left and went east, then at 6th Avenue turned right again at Bryant Park. Heading south on 6th Avenue, the parade turned right at 34th Street and proceeded west to the terminating point at 7th Avenue. The City of New York implemented this change to provide more space for the parade and spectators, and because of the transformation of Broadway into a pedestrian-only zone at Times Square.

2011: 10th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks Commemoration

For the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks in 2011, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade invited family members from Tuesday's Children to cut the ribbon at the start of the parade, led by Al Roker and Amy Kule.

2012: New Parade Route Introduced

In 2012, another new route was introduced for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This change was similar to the 2009 route but eliminated Times Square altogether, instead going east from Columbus Circle along Central Park South, then south on Sixth Avenue to Herald Square.

2012: Last Year of Annual New Balloons in Blue Sky Gallery

Until 2012, a new balloon was featured each year in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade's Blue Sky Gallery. Since then, balloon appearances have been more intermittent.

2013: End of Macy's Sponsorship of Celebrate the Season Parade

In 2013, Macy's ended its sponsorship of the Celebrate the Season Parade in Pittsburgh.

2014: Entry and Performer Fees

Since 2014, the entry fee and performer fee for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has hovered between $200,000 and $250,000.

2017: Macy's Singing Christmas Tree Choir Debut

From 2017, the Macy's Singing Christmas Tree choir precedes Santa Claus as the final performer of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

2017: Macy's Holiday Parade Renamed

In 2017, the Macy's Holiday Parade at Universal Orlando Resort was renamed to Universal's Holiday Parade Featuring Macy's.

2018: Coldest Parade to Date and First Same-Sex Kiss Broadcast

The 2018 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was the coldest on record, with a temperature of 19 °F (-7.2 °C). Actresses Caitlin Kinnunen and Isabelle McCalla's kiss during The Prom's performance received media attention as the first broadcast of a same-sex kiss in the parade's history.

2019: End of Raven Industries Balloon Production

In 2019, Raven Industries of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, ended the production of balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

2019: Character Balloons Handled by 90 People

In 2019, each of the character balloons featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade were handled by exactly 90 people.

2019: Narrowly Averted Grounding

In 2019, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade narrowly averted grounding the balloons due to windy conditions. Taller balloons were rotated to appear horizontal and face downward.

2019: Sesame Street Cast Leads Parade for 50th Anniversary

In 2019, the cast of Sesame Street led the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in honor of the show's 50th anniversary.

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2020: Downsized Parade Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the 2020 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was downsized and closed to the public, becoming a broadcast-only event. Participation was significantly reduced, social distancing was enforced, and traditional elements like marching bands and child participants were removed.

2020: Universal's Holiday Experience Featuring Macy's Balloons

In 2020, the Macy's Holiday Parade at Universal Orlando Resort could not be run due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, a walkthrough experience known as Universal's Holiday Experience Featuring Macy's Balloons took place, displaying various floats and balloons.

2021: Return to Traditional In-Person Procession

In 2021, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade returned to its traditional in-person procession with 6,500 participants marching, after being downsized in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022: Macy's Singing Christmas Tree Choir Performed Second-To-Last

In 2022, the Macy's Singing Christmas Tree choir performed second-to-last in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

2022: First All-Female Hosting of NBC Broadcast

The 2022 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade's NBC broadcast marked the first time the broadcast was hosted entirely by women, as Al Roker was unable to host due to health issues.

2023: Macy's Singing Christmas Tree Choir Performed Second-To-Last

In 2023, the Macy's Singing Christmas Tree choir performed second-to-last in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

2023: Earlier Start Time and Pro-Palestinian Protests

In 2023, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade started half an hour earlier, at 8:30 am, for the first time in almost a century. Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted the parade in three locations, some gluing themselves to the parade route.

2024: Inflation Adjustment

In 1928, Sarg released five balloons from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with a reward of $100 (equivalent to $1,830 in 2024) for whoever found them.