#445 The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: A Century of Cheer

The Bowery Boys: New York City History

What is Thanksgiving without the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? The annual march through Manhattan -- terminating at Macy's Department Store -- has delighted New Yorkers for a century and been a part of the American tradition of Thanksgiving since it was first broadcast nationally on television in the 1950s.

Macy's began the parade in 1924 as a way to promote the new Seventh Avenue extension of their Herald Square location -- and to overshadow its department store rival Gimbel's. That first parade had many of the hallmarks of our modern parade -- from floats to Santa Claus - however it was much longer. Six miles!

One major tradition is thankfully gone -- releasing the parade balloons into the air and encouraging New Yorkers to chase after them. After one near disaster in 1932 (airplane, meet balloon zebra) this curious contest was discontinued.

By the late 1930s, the real world began seeping into the fairy-tale parade route, and during World War II, the parade was cancelled entirely -- a prohibition kicked off in a rather violent balloon deflation ceremony led by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.

Television would change the parade -- and the holiday -- forever. With NBC broadcasting starting in the 1950s, people could tune in from across the country, creating more opportunities to promote .... everything!

By the 1970s, the parade was a festival of commercialism, a beloved kitsch-fest featuring lip-syncing vocalists, ever larger balloons, morning show hosts and product placements embedded within other product placements.

But harsh winds and cold could be detrimental to the balloons and, sometimes, to the bystanders. Why will you never see a Cat In The Hat balloon in the parade again?

FEATURING: A cast of B and C list celebrities, thousands of out-of-town marching bands and a few favorite balloons (Snoopy, Underdog, the Tin Man and more)

Visit the website for pictures and other information about the parade

Read Greg's extensive article on the New York City connections of the film Miracle on 34th Street