Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Celebrates 90 Years
For many, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade “officially” kicks off the Christmas holiday season. This year participants will be taking its march down the streets of New York for the 90th time while 3.5 million people will view the spectacle from the sidelines and 50 million more will watch from the comfort of their homes all across the country.
NBC will be paying tribute to the 90-year-old parade on Wednesday, November 23 at 8:00 p.m. with a special that shares the history of the parade while also sharing some the parade’s best moments. Of course, the big celebration will take place the day after beginning at 9:00 a.m. with Today show hosts, Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker. Telemundo will simulcast the parade as well in Spanish with hosts Jessica Carrillo and Carlow Ponce.
CNN reports that this year’s entertainment includes performances by The Muppets, The Radio City Rockettes, select Broadway performances (Cats, Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical, Paramour and Waitress) and a preview of Hairspray Live! Other performances and appearances throughout the parade include Kelsea Ballerini, Tony Bennett, Aloe Blacc, Chloe x Halle, Easton Corbin, Daya, De La Soul, Diamante Eléctrico, Brett Eldredge, Fitz & the Tantrums, Christopher Jackson, Johnnyswim, Sandra Lee, Maddie & Tae, Sarah McLachlan, NHL legends Adam Graves and Eric Lindros, Ben Rector, Regina Spektor, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Sprout’s Chica, Timeflies, U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists Michelle Carter, Laurie Hernandez and Claressa Shields, U.S. Paralympic Gold Medalists Mikey Brannigan and Gianfranco Iannotta, Grace VanderWaal and Jacob Whitesides, among others.
“This year, as we celebrate 90 years of magical moments, we are truly humbled by the unique role the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade fills in the lives of millions worldwide, and we are thrilled to celebrate this special milestone with a spectacular line-up filled with amazing new and commemorative elements that will continue our storied legacy of unparalleled holiday entertainment,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The very first Macy’s parade was presented in 1924 and was then known as the Macy’s Christmas Parade. It featured floats, an employee marching band, clowns, and real animals on loan from Central Park Zoo. The parade spread for five miles from Harlem at 145th Street and Convent Avenue down to Macy’s Herald Square. Today, the parade route is a much shorter 2.5-mile trip that starts at 77th Street and Central Park West.
From the very beginning, and what continues today, many of the participants of the Thanksgiving Day Parade are made up Macy employee volunteers and their families. Through rain, snow and wind, the parade has weathered it all. Only one event has ever caused the cancellation of the parade: World War II. The parade was put on hold from 1941-1943. It was then later celebrated in the 1947 film, Miracle on 34th Street.
The use of real animals was discontinued on 1927, which was less about the animals’ welfare and more to do with the fact that they scared the younger children. In their place though became one of the parade’s most treasured elements: large inflatables. The first creations included Felix the Cat who, unlike the balloons we see today, was low to the ground and was tethered on sticks. The following the year, helium was used. However, for the 90th anniversary, Felix will return using the same methods used in 1927.
Today the creations are called “Balloonatics” and this year the route will feature Charlie Brown, Diary of A Wimpy Kid, Trolls, Angry Bird’s Red, Sinclair Oil’s Dino, The Elf on the Shelf, Hello Kitty, Ice Age’s Scrat and his Acorn, Paddington Bear, Pikachu, Pillsbury Doughboy, Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, Ronald McDonald, Skylanders Eruptor, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Thomas the Tank Engine.
This year, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will include numerous floats including a new one highlighting Girl Scouts. In addition to the Macy employee marching band, this year’s parade will include 12 other bands from school all across the country.
Finally, this year’s parade launches into the digital age as the new Macy’s Parade Time Traveler app allows fans to “interact with history” and experience the parade from different eras from the 1930’s to the 1980’s and will be able to take selfies in the past as well. The app can be downloaded for free on iTunes and Google Play.
[Featured Image by NBC]
