Many people find watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a loved tradition with their family. There is a lot of history and fun facts that go into making the parade possible!
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade occurs in Uptown Manhattan, New York City. The first parade was in 1924. This annual tradition has only missed three years in 1942, 1943, and 1944. There was no parade during these years due to World War II.
According to History.com, the first parade had around 250,000 people in attendance. Ever since then, the attendance has been growing! They started doing the parade to increase holiday sales and to highlight the new Macy’s store.
In the first parade, the employees marched through 34th Street. The employees dressed up as knights, clowns, and cowboys. As the years went on the attendance for the parade kept on growing!
Every year three million people plan to attend the parade. According to USA Today the big balloons are a cherished tradition in the parade. The first balloon was Felix the Cat and he made his first appearance in 1927.
Most of the balloons they have in the parade today are around 60 feet long, and 30 feet wide. It can take up to 90 people to hold the balloons, and they are all Macy’s employees.
If you want to attend the parade it is free! According to Time Out, the parade lasts from 9:00 a.m. to noon every year! If you are planning to go to the parade, plan to get there three hours early to get a good spot.
