47 fun facts about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

10 Things You Never Knew About the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons

A holiday tradition for nearly a century, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will march into its 96th year – with 27 giant balloons, 31 floats, and 300 pounds of glitter.

The first Macy’s parade was "Macy's Christmas Parade" in 1924. 250,000 spectators came out for the event.

Macy’s employees asked the company to have a parade for giving thanks and celebrating the upcoming Christmas holiday.

It was six miles long, had floats pulled by horses, and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo. There were elephants, tigers, camels – and a special appearance by Santa Claus.

In 1927, balloons replaced live animals (one report says zoo animals scared children along the path). 

The parade has only missed 3 years in its history. Macy’s suspended the parade during WWII (1942-1944) and donated rubber supplies from balloons to the military.

It was first broadcast via radio, and was televised nationally after WWII.

The parade sees an estimated 2-3 million people along its 2.5-mile route. Many of the televised performances will take place in front of Macy’s famous 34th Street store. 

Performers such as Paula Abdul, Jordin Sparks, and Kirk Franklin will appear live.

Snoopy will make his 42nd appearance in the parade – making him the most featured character in the parade's history. This year he'll be dressed in astronaut gear to celebrate past and future space missions, including NASA's recently launched Artemis I. 

“Since its first march ... Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has served to bring joy to the millions who gather nationwide each year to experience it with friends and family. This November, as we once again set the stage for the start of the holiday season, we are thrilled to showcase another spectacle full of magic and wonder that will help create everlasting memories with loved ones during this special time of year.”

Parade executive producer, Will Coss, on the 96th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

There are four new balloons making their debut this year, including one of Stuart the Minion from 

The event is one of the nation's most-watched televised events, with more than 50 million viewers. 

 Each balloon is made by hand in Macy's official parade studio. The studio – located in New Jersey – is also where all of the floats are created and the costumes are stored. 

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Emily Hooker