Macy’s held its first Thanksgiving Day parade in 1924 in Manhattan. Store employees wore costumes, and live animals from the Central Park Zoo were part of the festivities. Floats and professional bands were also in the parade. Balloons were introduced in 1928, and zoo animals no longer took part. The parade gained in popularity, but it was suspended from 1941 to 1944 because the World War II effort required the rubber and helium from the balloons. Television coverage began in 1948. Today high school and college marching bands, along with live performances of excerpts of Broadway shows and movies, accompany the floats and balloons.
Nov 272024