What started off as a promotional stunt for the department store has become a national event, and unofficial kickoff of the holiday season.
This year marks the 90th annual parade—although the tradition is older than that.
The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was held in 1924, after the store had taken over an entire block of midtown Manhattan. To celebrate the opening of the “World’s Largest Store,” Macy’s decided to hold a parade and hopefully start customers thinking about their Christmas shopping.
Take a stroll down memory lane with these classic photos of the parade, and be sure to tune in to our livestream of the parade on Travel + Leisure's Facebook page on Thursday morning.
1931
1933
The animal-shaped balloons were attached with string and paraded through New York City. At the end of the 1928 parade, the balloons were released into the sky, where they burst.
1933
The following years, Macy’s employees sewed address labels into the balloons. Whoever found the burst balloons could mail them back to Macy’s and receive a reward.
1937
1945
The parade was first broadcast locally in 1946. The following year, NBC began broadcasting the parade to a national audience.
1945
1949
A clown whose 'head' is in danger of blowing away becomes big favorite with kiddies jamming street along Central Park West.
1951
The parade has always including marching bands as attractions, but the number of participants has consistently grown. This year, 12 bands will march in the parade, including the Macy’s Great American Marching Band with 250 members representing all 50 states.
1951
One of the characters from Mighty Mouse in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, in Times Square.
1954
Zoo animals eventually proved themselves to be unreliable additions to the parade. Slowly, parade organizers began cutting out live animals from the show and adding character balloons. The floats became more and more elaborate and the length of the parade grew.
1955
The first parade route started in Harlem on 145th Street, marching the six miles down to the Macy’s store on 34th Street.
1964
The Rockettes joined the parade in 1957. They are traditionally one of the last acts to perform.
1966
One thing that has remained the same for over 90 years is the grand finale: Santa Claus. At the end of the parade, Father Christmas sits outside of Macy’s and welcomes customers to the holiday shopping season.
1970
NBC announcer Joe Garagiola with spectators. Celebrities, musicians and actors have been a part of the parade’s history. Some of the most iconic to make appearances include Ginger Rogers, Sammy Davis, Jr., and more recently Mariah Carey.
1976
1981
Mickey Mouse takes in Broadway's sights, including a crowd of more than a million, at the 55th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
