The History of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

It’s the morning of Thanksgiving. The turkey’s in the oven, the soft smell of sweet potatoes and butter lingers in the air. Your stomach is already grumbling in preparation for the meal that lies ahead.  

As you take your seat in the living room, you turn to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and sit back and take in the scenes in front of you. Floats are marching their way through the streets, marching bands’ instruments are shouting their tunes, and Broadway performers are singing their hearts out. But one question still lingers in your mind, where did this all begin? 

Inspired by the Philidelphia Thanksgiving Parade, which is held in Philidelphia, PA, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was founded in 1924, making it the second oldest Thanksgiving Parade in the U.S. 

The parade is held in Manhattan, ending just outside of Macy’s Herald Square and has been televised on NBC since 1953. It takes place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is run by Macy’s employees, their friends, and their families, all of who work as volunteers.  

It all started in 1943 when store employees marched to Macy’s Herald Square in vibrant costumes and colors. There were floats, bands, and animals which were borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. Then, at the end of the parade, Santa Claus was brought out and crowned the “King of Kiddies,” hence starting the tradition which almost all little kids look forward to.  

With more than 250,000 people attending the first parade, it was deemed a success and it was determined that it would become an annual event, despite minimal media coverage at the time.  

Throughout the 1930s the parade continued to grow and develop, with crowds of more than one million people attending the parade in 1933. It was continuously broadcast on radio stations in New York from 1932 to 1941. However, the broadcasts weren’t resumed until 1945, due to World War 2 and the need for rubber and helium for the war effort. 

After resuming in 1945 and being featured in the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street, which included footage of the 1946 parade, the tradition became known nationwide. And in 1949 the program was first broadcast on television.  

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the 2020 parade was downsized and closed to the public – being filmed as a broadcast-only event. This brought an all-time low attendance since the parade was first broadcast with 88% less attendance with social distancing being strongly enforced. The event didn’t include any high school or college bands, and no participants or spectators were allowed under the age of 18.  

In 2021, the parade resumed in person procession with 6,500 people marching in the parade and 2.5 million spectators returning to watch the events unfold.