Thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of Manhattan on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27, for the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Parade crews will begin inflating and staging the balloons Wednesday between 81st and 77th streets around the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.
Check out some historic photos from parades past below, and read on to learn some nifty trivia about the annual holiday extravaganza, as well as learn how to watch online and on television.
When was the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
According to the Library of Congress, Macy’s first held a Christmas Parade on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 1924, staring an annual traditional enjoyed the world over.
The parade was first televised nationally in 1947.
What was the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon?
The first balloon featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was Felix the Cat in 1927.
Felix the Cat, widely considered the world’s first animated film star, is the headlining character from a series that followed the mischievous black cat and his adventures. The cartoon was first created for Paramount Studios and produced out of Australian animator Pat Sullivan’s studio in Manhattan.
Other iconic characters featured over the years include Mickey Mouse (who first debuted in 1934,) Pikachu, Bluey and more.
Early balloons were released into the sky, before this major accident
Originally, there was no mechanism to deflate the Macy’s parade balloons, and so each one was released into the air above Manhattan, and popped as they rose into the sky.
Eventually, a valve was added to the balloons that allowed for helium to slowly leak when they were released at the end of the parade. A return address was included on each balloon, and a reward offered (a $25 Macy’s gift card), in hopes that folks who found the treasured balloons would return them to Macy’s.
Not all balloons made it back, the Library of Congress website says: “one landed in the East River and another drifted out to sea.”
The release process continued up until 1932, until a stray balloon wrapped itself around the wing of an airplane, subsequently sending it into a tailspin. “No balloons were released from that point on,” the Library of Congress said.
What time does the Macy’s parade start?
The parade steps off after an 8:30 a.m. ribbon cutting on Thursday, traversing a 2½-mile route south along Central Park, east on 59th Street to 6th Avenue. From there, the parade heads south to 34th Street, where it turns west for its final performance for the national NBC telecast in front of the historic Macy’s entrance.
The parade will run from 8:30 a.m. until noon. The event will air on TV and streaming from 8:30 a.m. to noon in all time zones.
How to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Watch the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast on NBC, or stream on Peacock, starting at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving Day.) Watch in Spanish thanks to a simulcast on Telemundo.
Test your knowledge of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Did you read the story above? Want to test your knowledge? Take our short quiz here at bit.ly/4ifxl6G for some holiday fun.
Contributing: The Asbury Park Press, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Learn history of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, how to watch
Reporting by Ashley Catherine Fontones, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
