The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a staple Thanksgiving festivity for decades now. Around 3.8 million people gather in New York City to witness the large floats and musical performances, as well as fifty million television viewers nationwide watching on NBC. The Macy’s Christmas Parade was the precursor to this Big Apple tradition. For the Christmas Parade, Macy’s employees would dress up in lavish costumes, travel with the Central Park zoo animals, and walk a lengthy route with large, ornate floats. With the intent to draw more attention to the Macy’s store, however, the parade’s name was changed from Macy’s Christmas Parade to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1927 and ended up becoming an annual event in Manhattan.

This year the parade kicks off in Central Park and travels down 6^th Avenue until it concludes at the Macy’s store at 34^th Street. The parade involves numerous aspects that make it such an enjoyable, ongoing tradition. A highlight of the parade that most people look forward to each year are the gigantic balloons that include all different types of characters featured on television, movies, and more.

Felix the Cat and Humpty-Dumpty were among two of the first floats to ever appear in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. At first, the balloons were solely filled up with air, but today the floats are inflated with helium. Furthermore, the first balloons were made of rubber, while the balloons today are made of polyurethane. In the early days of the parade, the balloons would be released into the sky after the parade and whoever returned the deflated balloon would receive a $50 reward from Macy’s. Moreover, horses used to carry the floats through the streets until 1939. Various Disney characters began to appear in the parade after the first Mickey Mouse float made an appearance in 1934.

[ot-caption title=”Ronald McDonald along with Pikachu smiling to the parade viewers. (Frank Franklin II, AP Images)” url=”https://pcpawprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/AP05112402798.jpg”]

Some popular balloons that have continuously appeared in the parade are Ronald McDonald, Pikachu, and Dora the Explorer. There are certain obligations necessary to display one of these renowned balloons. Over 2,000 volunteers are needed to handle the balloons, and each volunteer is required to weigh at least 120 pounds. Each balloon entails 50 healthy volunteers and a police officer to march alongside. Besides the balloons, the parade’s floats play a prominent role in the extravaganza. The floats exude creativity and a celebratory atmosphere for the throngs of people lining the streets.

Not only will viewers be  amazed by the entertaining balloons but the parade also alternates them with several floats with celebrity performances. From Hilary Duff and Nick Jonas bringing a comeback to Idina Menzel and Becky G, the performances will never fail to bring a smile to everyones’ faces. Along with featured celebrities, the show will include 1,300 cheerleaders and dancers, 1,000 clowns, and twelve marching bands tagging along on the route through NYC.

The parade starts at 9am on Thanksgiving morning, so stay in your pajamas, grab a mug of hot cocoa and enjoy!

Sources: Business Insider and NBC