What is Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (informally known as the "Macy's Day Parade") is an annual parade presented by Macy's Department store. The three-hour event is held in New York City starting at 9:00 a.m. EST on Thanksgiving.

History

In the 1920s many of Macy's department store employees were second-generation immigrants. Proud of their new American heritage, they wanted to celebrate the United States holiday of Thanksgiving with the type of festival their parents had loved in Europe.

In 1924, the annual Thanksgiving parade started by Louis Bamberger in Newark, New Jersey at the Bamberger's store was transferred to New York by Macy's. In New York, the employees marched to Macy's flagship store on 34th Street dressed in vibrant costumes. There were floats, professional bands and live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. At the end of that first parade, as has been the case with every parade since, Santa Claus was welcomed into Herald Square. At this first parade, however, the Jolly Old Elf was enthroned on the Macy's balcony at the 34th Street store entrance, where he was then "crowned" "King of the Kiddies." With an audience of over a quarter of a million people, the parade was such a success that Macy's declared it would become an annual event.

Large animal-shaped balloons replaced the live animals in 1927 when the Felix the Cat balloon debuted. Felix was filled with air, but by the next year, helium was used to fill the expanding cast of balloons.

Through the 1930s, the Parade grew and grew until crowds of over 1 million lined the parade route in 1933. The first Mickey Mouse balloon entered the parade in 1934. The parade ceremonies were broadcast on local New York radio.

The parade was suspended from 1942-1944 because of World War II. The rubber and helium were needed for the war effort. The parade resumed in 1945 using the route that it still runs today. The parade gained serious fame after being prominently featured in the 1947 film, Miracle on 34th Street. At the conclusion of some of the early parades, the balloons were released and floated away, often taking several days to come down. A reward of a $100 Macy's gift certificate was offered for anyone who found and returned any of the lost balloons.

The 2006 parade (the 80th), included two new big balloons: Flying Ace Snoopy and Pikachu (remodeled with a Poke ball), along with new falloons and ballonicles: the Energizer Bunny and a Macy's balloon styled for the 80th anniversary of the parade.

Other cities in the US also have parades on Thanksgiving, but they are not run by Macy's. The nation's oldest Thanksgiving parade was first held in Philadelphia in 1920. Other cities include: Plymouth, Massachusetts, Seattle, Washington, Houston, Texas, Detroit, Michigan, and Fountain Hills, Arizona.

New safety measures were incorporated in 2006 to prevent accidents and balloon related injuries. One measure taken was installation of wind measurement devices to alert parade organizers to any unsafe conditions that could cause the balloons to behave erratically. Also, parade officials implemented a measure to keep the balloons closer to the ground during windy conditions.

Balloons

Balloon inflation

The balloons for the parade are inflated the day before (Wednesday) on both sides of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The balloons are split between 77th and 81st Streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. The inflation team consists of various volunteers from Macy's as well as students from Stevens Institute of Technology, a local university in Hoboken, NJ where the balloons and floats are designed and built. The inflation is open to the public the afternoon and night before the parade.

Balloon trivia

• The largest balloon to be in the parade was Superman.
• The first female character balloon in the parade was Olive Oyl in 1982.
• The Eddie Cantor balloon is the only balloon to be modeled after a living person.
• The Clifford the Big Red Dog balloon is the only one said to be life-sized.
• Sonic the Hedgehog (character) was the first video game character to have a balloon modeled after it, with its debut in 1993's parade.
• Little Bill was the first african-american charecter to have a ballon based after him.
• Dora The Explorer was the first latino charecter to have a baloon based after her.
• Snoopy is the character with the most balloons made after him, having 6 balloons

Balloon introductions

• 2007: Shrek
• 2006: Pikachu with Poke Ball (2nd version); Flying Ace Snoopy (6th version) 80th Anniversary Hot Air Balloon Replic
• 2005: Dora the Explorer, Scooby-Doo, Mr. Potato Head, JoJo's Circus
• 2004: SpongeBob SquarePants (character), Chicken Little (character), M&M's
• 2003: (Strike Up the Band) Barney & Friends (2nd version), Super Grover, Garfield (character) (2nd version)
• 2002: Kermit the Frog (2nd version), Little Bill, Rich Uncle Pennybags

• 2001: Curious George, Big Bird (2nd version), Jimmy Neutron, Pikachu, Cheesasaurus Rex
• 2000: Bandleader Mickey Mouse (3rd version), Ronald McDonald (2nd version), Jeeves, Dragontails
• 1999: Millennium Snoopy (5th version), Honey Nut Cheerios Bee, Blue's Clues
• 1998: Babe the Pig, Wild Thing, Dexter
• 1997: Arthur, Rugrats, Bumpé
• 1996: Rocky and Bullwinkle (2nd version), Peter Rabbit;
• 1995: Dudley the Dragon, Sky Dancer, Eben Bear; Izzy (mascot) (1996 Summer Olympics mascot)
• 1994: Barney the Dinosaur, The Cat in the Hat
• 1993: Beethoven (dog), Sonic the Hedgehog, Rex the Dinosaur, Izzy
• 1992: Goofy
• 1991: Babar
• 1990: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Bart Simpson
• 1989: Bugs Bunny
• 1988: Nestlé Nesquik Quik Bunny, Big Bird, Pink Panther, Snoopy w/ Earmuffs, (4th version) Woodstock
• 1987: Spider-Man, Ronald McDonald, Snuggle Bear, Snoopy Skating (3rd version)
• 1986: Baby Shamu, Humpty Dumpty
• 1985: Betty Boop
• 1984: Garfield, Raggedy Ann
• 1983: Yogi Bear
• 1982: Olive Oyl, Woody Woodpecker

• 1980: Superman (3rd version)
• 1977: Kermit the Frog
• 1975: Weeble
• 1972: Smile (Happy Face); Mickey Mouse (2nd version; this balloon was to have debuted in 1971, but high winds cancelled the balloons participation.)
• 1969: Astronaut Snoopy (redesigned Aviator Snoopy) (2nd version)
• 1968: Aviator Snoopy (1st version)
• 1966: Smokey Bear, Superman (2nd version)
• 1965: Underdog
• 1964: Linus the Lionhearted
• 1963: Dino the Dinosaur, Elsie the Cow
• 1962: Donald Duck (Second version)
• 1961: Bullwinkle J. Moose (First version)
• 1960: Happy Dragon
• 1957: Popeye The Sailorman
• 1956: Observation Balloon
• 1954: Gorgeous Gobbler Turkey
• 1952: Spaceman
• 1951: Mighty Mouse
• 1950: Toy Soldier
• 1950: Flying Fish
• 1949: Howdy Doody On Trapeze
• 1934: Mickey Mouse (First Version)
• 1927: Felix the Cat

Novelty Balloon Introuctions

• 2006: Green Candy Cane, Handprint Stars, Ice Cream Cone
• 2005: Wiggle Worm, Candy Canes, Snow Crystals, Poinsettias
• 2004: Uncle Sam

Balloonicle and Falloon introductions

A falloon ("F") (portmanteau of "float" and "balloon") is a float-based balloon. A balloonicle ("B") (portmanteau of "balloon" and "vehicle") is a self-powered balloon vehicle.

• 2006: Energizer Bunny (B)
• 2005: SnowBo (B)
• 2004: Weebles (B) - (3) Tibby, Tooey, Bumpus

Float Introductions

• 2006: Barbie & the 12 Dancing Princesses, Doodlebug, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Mother Goose, Space Station Discovery,
• 1998-2006: Sesame Street
• 2002: Barney's Playtime in The Park
• 1987: Marvel Comics
• 1984: Fraggle Rock

Performers and acts

In addition to the well-known balloons and floats, the parade also features live music and other performances. High school marching bands from across the country participate in the parade, and the television broadcasts feature performances by famous singers and bands.

Television coverage

More than 44 million people watch the parade on television each year. NBC has been the official broadcaster of the event since 1955. For many years now the parade, which began its television appearances on CBS in 1952, has been hosted mostly by members of The Today Show. However, from 1962 to 1971 it was hosted by Lorne Greene (who was then appearing in NBC's Bonanza), and Betty White. Ed McMahon then hosted the telecast into the early 1980s.

Between 1987 and 1997, the NBC telecast coverage was hosted by the Today Show's Willard Scott. During that period, his co-hosts were Mary Hart, Sandy Duncan, Deborah Norville, and Katie Couric; In 1995, Al Roker joined the live parade coverage. Matt Lauer picked up hosting duties in 1998 when Willard Scott left. In 2006, the hosting team consisted of Meredith Vieira, Matt Lauer and Al Roker. From the early 80s until circa 1994, the show was produced and directed by Dick Schneider; since circa 1994, the telecast has been executive produced by Brad Lachman, produced by Bill Bracken and directed by Gary Halvorson.

Since 2003, parade coverage has been simulcast in Spanish language on NBC-owned Telemundo. Parade coverage has won nine Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Special Event Coverage since 1979.

As the Macy's parade, like most parades, occurs on public streets, NBC's coverage is not exclusive. For several years, CBS also televised portions of the parade as part of its wraparound "All-American Thanksgiving Day Parade" coverage, which includes footage from Thanksgiving parades around the country. Since then, however, the wraparound coverage has been dropped completely, and is currently marketed under the title "The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS."

Houston, Texas and Detroit, Michigan are the largest television markets to have the parade pre-empted for locally based parades. Houston's CBS affiliate, KHOU-TV, does the annual march through downtown Houston, and WDIV-TV in Detroit pre-empts NBC coverage for that city's "America's Thanksgiving Day Parade".

Parade route

The Parade originally began on 145th Street in Harlem and ended at Herald Square, a 6 1/2 mile route.

The Parade adopted its current route in 1945 when NBC began televising the parade. Beginning at the intersection of 77th Street and Central Park West, the route heads south along Central Park. At Columbus Circle, the route turns onto Broadway (Manhattan), passes through Times Square, and continues southward to Macy's, turning west onto 34th Street, and continuing to 7th Avenue, where the floats are taken down. It is not advised to view the parade from Columbus Circle, as due to higher winds in this flat area, balloon teams race through it.

The shortened Parade route offered at least one convenience: it eliminated the need for the large balloons to be carried under the elevated subway lines. Today, New York City officials preview the parade route and try to eliminate as many potential obstacles as possible, even going as far as rotating overhead traffic signals out of the way.

Macy's Holiday Parade

Since 2002, Macy's Studios has partnered with Universal Studios Orlando to bring the Macy's balloons and floats from New York to the Universal Studios Florida theme park in Orlando every holiday season. The parade is performed daily and includes the iconic Santa Claus float. Performers from the Orlando area are cast as various clowns, and the park invites guests to be "balloon handlers" for the parade. [1]

Incidents and injuries

• In 1997, high winds pushed the Cat in the Hat balloon into a lamppost. The falling debris struck parade-goer Kathleen Caronna, fracturing her skull and leaving her in a coma for a month.
• In 2005, the M&M's chocolate candies balloon caught on a streetlight in Times Square. Two sisters were struck by falling debris, suffering minor injuries. As a result, new safety rules were introduced.^[1] Those rules came in handy for the 2006 parade, as balloons were lowered because of rain and high winds.

Helium shortage

In 2006, parade organizers decided to use fewer balloons in response to a worldwide shortage of helium. Organizers, in fact, talked of not using any balloons at all, but decided to compromise due to public demand.^[2]

References

See also

• New York's Village Halloween Parade

Further reading

• Grippo, Robert M., Christopher Hoskins, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Arcadia Publishing 2004

External links

• Official Macy's Parade site
• Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade History". The official website for New York City tourism. Retrieved September 22, 2004.
• Macy's Holiday Parade at Universal Orlando

Federated Department Stores

Terry J. Lundgren (Chairman, President and CEO)

Bloomingdale's | Macy's (East | Florida | Midwest | North | Northwest | South | West | macys.com)

Bridal Group: After Hours Formalwear | David's Bridal | Priscilla of Boston

Chains Converted in 2006: Famous-Barr | Filene's | Foley's | Hecht's | The Jones Store | Kaufmann's | L.S. Ayres | Marshall Field's | Meier & Frank | Robinsons-May | Strawbridge's

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Annual Revenue: $1.406 billion USD (FY 2005)
Employees: 232,000
Stock Symbol: NYSE: FD
Website: www.federated-fds.com

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