Top 25 Fun Facts About Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

How old is the world's largest parade in honor of Macy's Thanksgiving Day, how much time and effort it takes to prepare it, what oddities have happened during the existence of the show and what can never prevent it from being held - the publication writes about this and much more The morning call.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is a classic American tradition where many families gather around the TV or travel to New York to have fun.

Macy's department store employees prepare all year for this spectacular show, which actually has a long and fascinating history. Here are some amazing facts about this great event.

This tradition is almost 100 years old.

The first Macy's parade took place in 1924, but then it was officially a Christmas parade, not a Thanksgiving celebration.

Designed to help expand Macy's huge New York flagship store, the parade featured costumes from characters such as the clown, cowboys, tigers, bears and elephants from the Central Park Zoo.

But not the fact that it was the first parade ...

Macy's did not officially host the first Thanksgiving parade. In fact, the event has its roots in Philadelphia's Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade, now known as Dunkin's Birthday Parade, which began in 1920.

Exclusive Club

Since 1924, the participants in the parade have been Macy's employees, their families, friends, or those who were related to the organizers of the event.

In addition to invited celebrities or guests, outside volunteers must apply for one of the 1500 coveted volunteer spots.

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Difficulties in organizing

A minimum of 90 people will be required to operate an average balloon. The balloons contain an average of 3700 cubic meters of helium, so these people must be in good health and weigh at least 72 kg.

Who controls the balloons

Each balloon is officially assigned a pilot who controls the volunteers, who, in turn, overcome the entire parade route, which is more than 4 km long.

Pilots who are still volunteers attend field and classroom training to prepare for the day.

very expensive helium

Macy's is the second largest consumer of helium in the world, and the first is the US government, the source states.

It takes over 90 cubic meters or three and a half Olympic-size pools to inflate balloons. Helium is a limited resource, and it costs over $500 to fill a balloon.

First hot air balloon

Although the first famous Macy's parade took place in 1924, the parade's signature giant balloons did not debut until three years later.

In 1927, the first balloon was launched at the parade - a giant cat Felix. Mickey Mouse first appeared in balloon form in 1934, and the Peanuts character Snoopy debuted in 1968.

Filmed in secret

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade played a big role in the plot of the 1947 holiday classic film Miracle on 34th Street. The scenes for the film were actually filmed live during this parade in 1946. The film crew set up 14 cameras along the parade route and, without the knowledge of most of the spectators, were filming.

Snoopy is the best dog

While some balloons have come and gone over the years, Snoopy Charlie Brown's quirky beagle has been in most of the parades.

highest hot air balloon

Snoopy is the brightest star in the parade, but he is not the biggest balloon.

In 1980, a character called "The Man of Steel" appeared, standing almost 24 meters tall, making him the tallest balloon in the history of this parade.

Dear PR

Macy's balloon designers begin preparations a year before the parade.

The cost to design and build a brand new balloon is $190, and subsequent performances are $90 a year.

All balloons are made, prepared and tested for Halloween and then stored in a warehouse at the Macy's Parade studio.

Modern Art

All giant balloons are works of art - specially designed and hand painted by Macy's Parade Studio in New Jersey. But in 2005, Macy's introduced a new line of "Blue Sky" balloons that felt like a "floating art gallery".

Artist Jeff Koons and director Tim Burton have contributed to past projects.

These balls are compact

Makes all Macy's Parade Studio balloons from New Jersey. They can reach 12 meters in height and almost 9 meters in width, but still fit in a 4 by 2 meter box. In this form, they are delivered to the parade through the Lincoln Tunnel.

How balloons are inflated

It takes approximately 10 hours to inflate the giant balloons, so the process begins the night before the parade. Balloons are inflated in the staging area on 77th Street and Central Park, near the American Museum of Natural History. Locals and tourists gather to watch "it's the show before the show".

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Trouble Parade

In its more than 90 years of existence, this parade has faced major problems several times. For example, in 1958, due to a lack of helium, balloons had to be attached to trucks that moved along the route and pulled the balloons along.

In 1942, 1943 and 1944, the parade was completely canceled due to World War II. And in 2020, it was held without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But even the assassination of President John F. Kennedy six days before the parade could not stop the 1963 celebrations, which continued as planned in an attempt to boost national morale.

Bad weather

Apart from the years when the parade was canceled due to the war, balloons were lowered due to adverse weather conditions - this happened only once.

Heavy rain and wind made conditions too dangerous to fly in 1971. The city government has introduced a rule that balloons cannot fly if the wind gusts are more than 15 kilometers per hour.

This rule was put in place after a "Cat in the Hat" balloon crashed into a lamppost in 1997 due to wind, injuring four spectators.

Cold is not a hindrance

The parade was never canceled because of the cold. In 2018, Thanksgiving Day temperatures were -6 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest parade in the show's history.

Both spectators and performers such as Diana Ross, John Legend and Martina McBride were advised to cover their fingertips, earlobes and noses to prevent frostbite.

Testing and Security

Before the parade, additional testing of balloons is carried out, precautions are taken to avoid trouble during the parade.

Trouble has already happened when balloons accidentally snag electrical wires, signs, tree branches and street lights, damaging the balloon itself and even injuring spectators.

So, in 1931, the balloon "Cat Felix" caught fire after getting tangled in telephone lines. The last incident in which spectators were hurt was in 2005 when an M&M balloon crashed into a lamppost near Times Square, causing it to fall and injure two women.

First radio broadcast

The Macy's parade was an instant success, with over 250 people taking part in the inaugural parade in 1924. Those unable to attend in person were first able to join this traditional event in 1932 when the first national radio broadcast took place.

Prizes

In the first years of the parade, the organizers did not plan to deflate and store the balloons. Instead, they just let them fly away.

In 1928, Macy's decided to organize a game whose goal was to find the balls. Five balloons were released with a return address printed on it. Those who found them received a reward of $100. Three landed on Long Island, one in the East River, and one in the sea.

Macy's abandoned this practice after one of the balloons collided with the plane's wing in 1932, causing it to lose control.

How balloons are blown

After the parade ends, the balloons are blown off behind Macy's on Seventh Avenue. It takes only 15 minutes to release the gas from each balloon. Volunteers simply unzip the sides of the balloons and jump on top of them to squeeze out the excess helium.

Clowns are everywhere

Over 8000 volunteers dressed as clowns accompany the 16 balloons, while 1200 cheerleaders and dancers, over 1000 clowns and 11 bands entertain the crowd.

Expensive suits

Hundreds of volunteers who take part in the parade will receive fantastic costumes worth a total of $2 million. The Macy's team creates about 700 new suits every year. Nearly 200 costume makers are on the parade early in the morning to help everyone get dressed, including Santa and Mrs. Claus, whose costumes are made to order.

Who was broadcasting

Countless celebrities appeared in the Thanksgiving Day Parade at Macy's, which was first broadcast on NBC television in 1939.

Many well-known NBC announcers, including Willard Scott, Bryant Gumbel, Katie Couric, and Al Roker, hosted live broadcasts. The longest running duo to host the broadcast were actor Lorne Greene and actress Betty White.

More than 50 million people across the country watch the broadcast of this parade.

Santa Claus ends the parade, but not always...

Every year, the Thanksgiving Parade ends with Santa Claus soaring through the sky on a sleigh. This marks the official start of the holiday season in the United States of America.

The only time Santa missed the final was in 1933 when he led the opening of the Macy's parade.