Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade facts for kids

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1979.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a famous parade held every Thanksgiving in New York City. It is put on by the department store Macy's. The parade started in 1924. It features many giant balloons, colorful floats, famous people, and music. The parade always ends with Santa Claus arriving, which officially kicks off the Christmas and holiday season. The hosts of The Today Show also help host the event, introducing new acts as they pass by.

History of the Parade

How it Started

In 1924, Macy's store employees marched to the main Macy's store on 34th Street. They wore bright costumes. The parade also had floats, professional bands, and even live animals from the Central Park Zoo. At the end of this first parade, Santa Claus was welcomed into Herald Square. He was crowned "King of the Kiddies" from the Macy's balcony. Over 250,000 people watched, and the parade was so popular that Macy's decided to make it an annual event.

The Macy's parade became so successful that it replaced an older Thanksgiving tradition called Ragamuffin Day. On Ragamuffin Day, children would go around asking for treats, similar to trick-or-treating. By the 1920s, many adults found this annoying. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, people were struggling, so events like the Macy's parade became popular alternatives. The last Ragamuffin parade in New York City was in 1956.

Anthony "Tony" Frederick Sarg loved working with puppets. He moved to New York City and performed with his puppets on the street. Macy's heard about his talent and asked him to design a parade-themed window display for their store. This led to his involvement in the actual parade.

Growing and Changing Over Time

Throughout the 1930s, the parade grew even bigger. By 1933, over a million people watched the parade. The first Mickey Mouse balloon joined the parade in 1934. The event was broadcast on local radio in New York City from 1932 to 1941, and again from 1945 to 1951.

The parade was paused from 1942 to 1944 because of World War II. Materials like rubber and helium were needed for the war effort. It started again in 1945. The parade became famous across the country after being shown in the 1947 movie Miracle on 34th Street. The event was first shown on network television in 1948. From 1984 to 2019, the giant balloons were made by Raven Aerostar.

Since 1985, the New York City Police Department Highway Patrol usually led the parade. In 2019, the characters from Sesame Street led the parade to celebrate their show's 50th anniversary.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the 2020 parade was much smaller. It was closed to the public and filmed only for TV. There were 88% fewer people involved, and everyone kept their distance. High school and college marching bands could not participate that year. Also, no one under 18 years old was allowed. The large balloons were attached to special anchor vehicles instead of being carried by many handlers. In 2021, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade returned to its usual in-person event with 6,500 participants.

Giant Balloons

Hamlet The Balloon School Pig being inflated by the Steven's Inflation Crew during training at Giants Stadium

The famous balloons were first used in 1927. They replaced the live zoo animals that were in earlier parades. Tony Sarg designed these large animal-shaped balloons. They were made by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company until 1980. In the early days, there was no way to deflate the balloons, so they were just released into the sky. From 1928 to 1932, five giant helium balloons were released. They would float high up and slowly deflate. Whoever found and returned one of these "contestants" could get a $100 reward from Macy's.

The balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade come in different types. The oldest type is the "novelty balloon." These are smaller balloons that vary in size. They are handled by one to thirty people. The most popular type is the "character balloons." These are usually based on popular characters from movies or TV shows. In 2019, there were 16 character balloons, and each one needed exactly 90 people to handle it. Some of the heaviest balloons in the parade's history include SpongeBob SquarePants with Gary (896 pounds) in 2019, and Goku from Dragon Ball (796 pounds) in 2018.

From 2005 to 2012, there was a special "Blue Sky Gallery" balloon class. These balloons turned artworks by modern artists into giant balloons. After a break, the Blue Sky Gallery returned from 2018 to 2020.

Character Balloons Over the Years

Parade Route in Manhattan

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has always taken place in Manhattan, New York City. The first parade started from 145th Street in Harlem. It ended at Macy's main store in Herald Square, which is about 6 miles away.

In the 1930s, the balloons were filled near 110th Street. The parade route changed over the years to make space for the growing crowds and larger balloons.

A new route was created for the 2009 parade. It started at 77th Street and Central Park West. It went south along Central Park to Columbus Circle, then east along Central Park South. The parade then turned right onto 7th Avenue and went south towards Times Square. At 42nd Street, it turned left and went east, then turned right again at 6th Avenue near Bryant Park. Heading south on 6th Avenue, the parade turned right at 34th Street (at Herald Square) and finished at 7th Avenue. This 2009 route avoided Broadway completely. New York City officials said the new route offered more space for the parade and better viewing for people watching. The city also changed Broadway into a pedestrian-only area in Times Square, which was another reason for the route change.

Another new route was introduced for the 2012 parade. This route was similar to the 2009 one but completely avoided Times Square. Instead, it went east from Columbus Circle along Central Park South, then south on Sixth Avenue directly to Herald Square.

Balloon teams often move quickly through Columbus Circle because of stronger winds in that open area. City officials check the parade route beforehand to remove any obstacles, like rotating overhead traffic signals. Viewers are not allowed in the area from 38th Street to the end of the parade route, as this section is used for the NBC television broadcast.

Images for kids

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  Santa Claus' arrival at the parade's finale marks the start of the Christmas season

See also

In Spanish: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade para niños