The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has drawn millions of spectators since 1924. According to people.com, each year, more than 50 million people watch the parade from the comfort of their homes and approximately three million visitors line the streets of Manhattan.
The parade is on Thanksgiving morning, this year, on Thursday November 23 from 9am to 12pm on NBC. It takes place along a 2.5 mile route from West 77th St and Central Park West to Macy’s Herald Square.
This year’s parade will feature 25 signature giant balloons, seven of which are new, 30 floats, nine marching bands and lots more creating an atmosphere of holiday cheer.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Website has more information about the parade, q and a’s, what to expect this year, and more.
Senior Jacob Collette says that he used to take the train into the city and watch the parade every year with his family when he was younger.
“The environment of the parade was fun and crazy compared to the quiet train ride. The atmosphere used to put me into the Thanksgiving and Christmas spirit early,” says Collette.
Since the first parade, Macy’s has come a long way, making changes and improvements in order to bring the best show possible to its spectators.
The once called Macy’s Christmas Parade featured Macy’s store employees dressed in costumes, professional bands and live animals from the Central Park Zoo. As the parade ended at the store’s entrance, Santa Claus emerged from the balcony above.
The iconic giant inflatable balloons were first introduced into the parade in 1927 replacing the zoo animals, with the first parade balloon ever being Felix the Cat.
Almost 50 years after the parade first introduced the balloons, Macy’s employees began building floats which are now built with different themes and often feature musicians, famous celebrities and characters. Some of the favorite floats of the parade include the Tom Turkey float and Santa’s Sleigh.
Collette states, “The Santa float was the biggest one for my family and was the one I always looked forward to.”
The Radio City Rockettes are classic performers as well and have been dancing in the parade since 1958.
The parade was first televised in 1938 as an experiment. People ended up liking the broadcast so much that it has been broadcasted annually since 1945.
Senior Ellen Pan says, “I used to watch the parade in the mornings at home when I was little while people were preparing for Thanksgiving.” Pan’s family is big on celebrating Thanksgiving and the parade helped set the mood for the holidays.
The annual Macy’s Day Parade In New York City is a well known tradition for people all around the country that brings excitement to both spectators and participants to kick off the holiday season.
