The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is always a staple on Thanksgiving. More than 44 million people watch the parade every year. However, many people don’t know why and how this parade tradition started.
It was originally known as the Macy’s Christmas Parade, The parade was started in order to raise sales. On November 27th, 1924, the tradition first started. The first balloons were introduced in 1927. It was a Felix the Cat balloon, based on the 1920s cartoon. Since then, more than 100 characters have been shown.
The parade takes place along a 2.5-mile route from West 77th Street & Central Park West to Macy’s Herald Square. When they first started the parades, they would use the balloons and later release them into the air. This was quickly stopped after people reported the remains of the balloons in the ocean.
In 1968, team members designed floats for the parade. Floats stand up to 40′ tall and 28′ wide. Now, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is one of the most known holiday traditions to date.
