Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Through The Years

By | November 21, 2018

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Tom Turkey, just one of the stars of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

The holiday season officially kicks off in New York City with the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This event is the world’s largest parade and the second oldest one in the United States. The parade, which started in 1924, attracts more than 3.5 million spectators who line Central Park West to Herald Square to watch the parade march by. A staggering 23 million viewers watch the parade on TV every Thanksgiving morning. Let’s take a look at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade through the years. 

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The First Parade in 1924 Featured Macy’s Store Employees

The very first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was, of course, much smaller than the grand production that it is today. For that first event, employees at Macy’s flagship store, located on 34th Street, wore brightly-colored costumes to walk the parade route. Additionally, there were floats, marching bands and some live animals that were borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. The goal of the parade was to welcome Santa Claus to Macy’s. Santa was given a place of honor on a throne on the store’s balcony for all the children to see him. The first parade was so well-received that Macy’s announced that it would be an annual event.