The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
is an annual parade presented by Macy's Department store. The three-hour event is held in New York City starting at 9:00 a.m. EST on Thanksgiving.
|
THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE TICKETS
|
History
In the 1920s many of Macy's department store employees were first-generation
immigrants. Proud of their new American heritage, they wanted to celebrate the
United States holiday of Thanksgiving with the type of festival their parents had loved in Europe.
In 1924, the annual Thanksgiving Day parade was started by
Louis Bamberger in
Newark, New Jersey at the
Bamberger's store which was transferred to New York by Macy's. In New York, the employees marched to Macy's flagship store on
34th Street dressed in vibrant costumes. There were floats, professional bands and live animals borrowed from the
Central Park Zoo. At the end of that first parade, as has been the case with every parade since,
Santa Claus was welcomed into
Herald Square. At this first parade, however, the Jolly Old Elf was enthroned on the Macy's balcony at the 34th Street store entrance, where he was then "crowned" "King of the Kiddies." With an audience of over a quarter of a million people, the parade was such a success that Macy's declared it would become an annual event.
Large animal-shaped
balloons produced by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio replaced the live animals in 1927 when the
Felix the Cat balloon made its debut. Felix was filled with air, but by the next year,
helium was used to fill the expanding cast of balloons.
At the finale of the 1928 parade, the balloons were released into the sky where they unexpectedly burst. The following year they were redesigned with safety valves to allow them to float for a few days.
Address labels were sewn into them, so that whomever found and mailed back the discarded balloon received a gift from Macy's
Through the 1930s, the Parade continued to grow, with crowds of over 1 million lining the parade route in 1933. The first
Mickey Mouse balloon entered the parade in 1934. The annual festivities were broadcast on local New York radio through 1941.
The parade was suspended for the duration of
World War II, owing to the need for rubber and helium in the war effort. The parade resumed in 1945 using the route that it currently follows
(see below). The parade became a permanent part of American culture after being prominently featured in the 1947 film,
Miracle on 34th Street
, which shows actual footage of the 1946 festivities. The event was first telecast nationally in 1948
(see below). By this point the event, and Macy's sponsorship of it, were sufficiently well-known to give rise to the colloquialism "Macy's Day Parade".
Macy's also sponsors the smaller
Celebrate the Season Parade in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, held two days after the main event. Other cities in the US also have parades on Thanksgiving, but they are not run by Macy's. The nation's oldest Thanksgiving parade (the Gimbels parade, now known as
6abc-Ikea) was first held in
Philadelphia in 1920. Other cities include the
McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade of
Chicago, Illinois and parades in
Plymouth, Massachusetts;
Seattle, Washington;
Houston, Texas;
Detroit, Michigan; and
Fountain Hills, Arizona. A parade is also held at the two U.S.
Disney theme parks. Since 1994, a "rival" of sorts, called the
Parade Spectacular
, has been run in
Stamford,
Connecticut, about 30 miles northeast of
New York City. It is run on the Sunday before
Thanksgiving to not directly compete with the Macy's parade and the balloon characters are not duplicated between the two parades. (Macy's in fact has sponsored this parade in a lesser fashion in the past.). Perhaps because of its location in the
New York metropolitan area, this parade gets up to 250,000 spectators per year and is the most-attended holiday balloon parade in the U.S. after the Macy's event . However, it can only be seen on television via local cable within
Fairfield County.
New safety measures were incorporated in 2006 to prevent accidents and balloon related injuries. One measure taken was installation of wind measurement devices to alert parade organizers to any unsafe conditions that could cause the balloons to behave erratically. Also, parade officials implemented a measure to keep the balloons closer to the ground during windy conditions.
Balloons
Balloon inflation
The balloons for the parade are inflated the day before (Wednesday) on both sides of the
American Museum of Natural History in
New York City. The balloons are split between 77th and 81st Streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. The inflation team consists of various volunteers from Macy's as well as students from
Stevens Institute of Technology, a local university in
Hoboken, NJ where the balloons and floats are designed and built. The inflation is open to the public the afternoon and night before the parade.
Balloon Introductions
- 2009: Spider-Man (2nd version), more TBA
- 2008: Horton the Elephant, Buzz Lightyear, Smurf, Figure with Heart by Keith Haring [1]
- 2007: Shrek, Hello Kitty, Abby Cadabby, Jeff Koons"Bunny", Artie the Pirate (replica of 1947 balloon)
- 2006: Pikachu with Poké Ball (2nd version, first balloon with built-in electric power to light up cheeks), Flying Ace Snoopy (6th version), 80th Anniversary Hot Air Balloon Replica
- 2005: Dora the Explorer (first character of Latino descent in parade history), Scooby-Doo, Healthy Mr. Potato Head, JoJo, Upsidedown Humpty Dumpty by Tom Otterness
- 2004: SpongeBob SquarePants, Disney's Chicken Little, M&M's
- 2003: (Strike Up the Band) Barney (2nd version), Super Grover, Garfield (2nd version)
- 2002: Kermit the Frog (2nd version), Little Bill (First African-American character in parade history), Rich Uncle Pennybags, Charlie Brown
- 2001: Curious George, Big Bird (2nd version), Jimmy Neutron, Pikachu, Cheesasaurus Rex, Happy Hippo, Toy Soldier (replica of 1927 balloon)
- 2000: Bandleader Mickey Mouse (3rd version), Ronald McDonald (2nd version), Jeeves, Cassie Dragon Tales, Blue Elf (replica of 1947 Gnome)
- 1999: Millennium Snoopy (5th version), Honey Nut Cheerios Bee, Blue's Clues, Petulia Pig
- 1998: Babe the Pig, Wild Thing, Dexter
- 1997: Arthur, Rugrats, Bumpé
- 1996: Rocky and Bullwinkle (2nd version), Peter Rabbit
- 1995: Dudley the Dragon, SkyDancer, Eben Bear; Izzy (1996 Summer Olympics mascot)
- 1994: Barney the Dinosaur, The Cat in the Hat.
- 1993: Beethoven (dog), Rex, Sonic the Hedgehog (first video game character in parade history)
- 1992: Goofy
- 1991: Babar the Elephant
- 1990: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Bart Simpson
- 1989: Bugs Bunny
- 1988: Nestlé Nesquik Bunny, Big Bird, Pink Panther, Snoopy (4th version) with Woodstock.
- 1987: Spider-Man, Ronald McDonald, Snuggle Bear, Skating Snoopy (3rd version), Ice Cream Cone Novelty Balloon
- 1986: Baby Shamu, Humpty Dumpty
- 1985: Betty Boop, Ornament Novelty Balloons
- 1984: Garfield, Raggedy Ann,
- 1983: Yogi Bear
- 1982: Olive Oyl (first female character in parade history), Woody Woodpecker
- 1980: Superman (2nd version, largest balloon to appear in parade)
- 1977: Kermit the Frog
- 1975: Weeble
- 1972: Smile (Happy Face), Mickey Mouse (2nd version), Astronaut Snoopy (2nd version, a tribute to Apollo 11)
- 1968: Aviator Snoopy
- 1966: Smokey Bear, Superman
- 1965: Underdog
- 1964: Linus the Lionhearted
- 1963: Sinclair Oil Dinosaur, Elsie the Cow
- 1962: Donald Duck
- 1961: Bullwinkle
- 1960: Happy Dragon
- 1957: Popeye
- 1951: Lucky Pup, Mighty Mouse
- 1947: Artie The Pirate
- 1940: Eddie Cantor (only living person ever depicted as balloon [2])
- 1938: Uncle Sam
- 1934: Mickey Mouse
- 1927: Felix the Cat
Balloonicle and falloon Introductions
A
falloon
(F; a
portmanteau of "float" and "balloon") is a float-based balloon. A
balloonicle
(B; a portmanteau of "balloon" and "vehicle") is a self-powered balloon vehicle.
- 2008: The Smurfs Mushroom House (F), Bolt (F)
- 2006: Energizer Bunny (B)
- 2005: SnowBo (B); Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi (F)
- 2004: Weebles (B) - (3) Tibby, Tooey, Bumpus; Drummer Boy - Holiday Beat (F)
- 2003: Percy & the P-Birds (F)
- 2001: Snow Globe (F)
- 2000: Green Dog (F)
- 1999: "Buddy" from Pets.com (F)
- 1998: Heimlick from Bug's Life (F)
- 1997: Grinch (F), Jello (F), Rudolf (F)
- 1996: Snow Family (F)
- 1991: Humpty Dumpty (F)
Float introductions
- 2008: Bolt, Castle of Dreams, Harajuku Lovers, Meaning of Thanksgiving, Musical Innovation: Bigger Than Life, Shine On
- 2007: The Care Bears Winter Fun-Derland, International Cele-Bear-Ation Clock Tower, M&M's Chocolate Candies on Broadway, Music Bigger than Life, Barbie as The Island Princess
- 2006: Barbie & the 12 Dancing Princesses, Doodlebug, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Mother Goose, Space Station Discovery,
- 2005: Holiday Beat, Krazy Kritters , The Magic of Childhood, 123 Sesame Street, Barbie as the Princess & The Pauper, NFL Classic, Tutenstein, and Voyage to Adventure, Polar Express
- 2002: Barney's Playtime in The Park
- 1998: Sesame Street
- 1987: Marvel Comics
- 1984: Fraggle Rock
- 1971: Tom Turkey
Performers and acts
In addition to the well-known balloons and floats, the parade also features live music and other performances. College and high school
marching bands from across the country participate in the parade, and the television broadcasts feature performances by famous singers and bands. The Radio City
Rockettes are a classic performance as well.
On the NBC telecast from in front of the flagship Macy's store on Broadway and 34th Sreet, the marching bands perform live music but most of the other live acts use pre-recorded music with the performers lip-syncing their singing.
Performers in 2007 included:
Ashley Tisdale,
Bindi Irwin and her mother,
Terri Irwin,
Corbin Bleu,
Dolly Parton,
Good Charlotte,
Jonas Brothers,
Lifehouse,
Menudo,
Ne-Yo,
Nikki Blonsky,
Sarah Brightman,
Jonathan Groff,
Lea Michele,
Wynonna Judd, and
Jordin Sparks.
2008's performers included
Kristin Chenoweth,
Charice Pempengco,
Miranda Cosgrove,
Miley Cyrus,
David Archuleta,
Idina Menzel,
Rick Astley (who
Rickrolled everybody during the Fosters' Home For Imaginary Friends float), and
The Clique Girlz;
The Cheetah Girls were originally slated to perform as well but were pulled from the itinerary.
[3].
2009's performers will include
Tiffany Thornton [4] who is doing a duet with
Kermit the Frog
Broadway shows
Every year, cast members from a number of
Broadway shows perform either in the parade, or immediately preceding the parade in front of Macy's. The 2007 parade was notable as it took place during I.A.T.S.E. strike of 2007, and as such,
Legally Blonde
, the one performing musical affected by the strike, performed in show logo shirts, with makeshift props and no sets. The other 3 shows perform in theaters which were not affected by the strike.
- 2008: White Christmas
, In the Heights
, South Pacific
, The Little Mermaid
- 2007: Legally Blonde
, Mary Poppins
, Young Frankenstein
, Xanadu
Television coverage
More than 44 million people watch the parade on television each year. It was first televised locally in 1939.
[5] After a wartime suspension in 1940–1944, the local broadcast returned in 1945. The parade began its network television appearances on
CBS in 1948.
[6] [7] NBC has been the official broadcaster of the event since 1955.
At first, the telecasts were only an hour long. In 1961, the telecast expanded to two hours,
[8] then 90 minutes in 1962–1964, back to two hours in 1965, and by 1969, all three hours of it were being televised.
[9] The broadcasts have been in color since 1960.
[10]
From 1963 to 1971 it was hosted by
Lorne Greene (who was then appearing in NBC's
Bonanza
), and
Betty White. Between 1987 and 1997, the NBC telecast coverage was hosted by
The Today Show
’s
Bryant Gumbel and
Willard Scott. During that period, their co-hosts were
Mary Hart,
Sandy Duncan,
Deborah Norville, and
Katie Couric; In 1995,
Al Roker joined the live parade coverage.
Matt Lauer picked up hosting duties in 1998 when
Willard Scott left. In 2006, the hosting team consisted of
Meredith Vieira, Matt Lauer and Al Roker; effectively, this is the cast of
The Today Show
since the parade's first hour (and, as of 2008, the second hour as well) falls within that show's regular time slot. The parade was announced by various NBC announcers like
Don Pardo and
Bill Wendell. For much of Willard Scott's years as Parade host, the telecast had its only woman announcer, Linda Lopez.
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
announcer
Joel Goddard has been telecast announcer since 1999. From the early 80s until circa 1994, the show was produced and directed by
Dick Schneider; since circa 1994, the telecast has been executive produced by , produced by Bill Bracken and directed by
Gary Halvorson. The musical director for the TV coverage is the veteran composer/arranger
Milton DeLugg.
Since 2003, parade coverage has been simulcast in
Spanish language on
NBC Universal-owned
Telemundo. Parade coverage has won nine
Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Special Event Coverage since 1979.
While NBC and Telemundo serve as the parade's official broadcasters under an agreement with Macy's, the parade itself occurs on public streets, meaning that Macy's cannot prevent other broadcasters from broadcasting their own coverage. For several years,
CBS also televised portions of the parade as part of its wraparound "All-American Thanksgiving Day Parade" coverage, which included parades in Detroit, Nashville (later replaced by Miami) and, for reasons unexplained, two month old taped footage from the
Aloha Floral Parade
, which is held in Honolulu every September. Since 2002, the remaining wraparound segments have been dropped with coverage focusing exclusively on the New York parade, under the title "The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS," without the endorsement of Macy's. (This lack of endorsement also means that parade events, e.g. musical performances, that are timed to the NBC coverage may not appear on CBS; to compensate, CBS will substitute other taped performances.)
Houston, Texas,
St. Louis, Missouri and
Detroit, Michigan are the largest television markets to have the parade pre-empted for locally based parades. Houston's CBS affiliate,
KHOU-TV, covers the annual march through downtown Houston, and
WDIV-TV in Detroit pre-empts NBC coverage for that city's "America's Thanksgiving Day Parade". And for years,
KSDK-TV pre-empted NBC's coverage for the local Thanksgiving Day Parade in St. louis, but now (as of
2007)
KMOV-TV carries the event. Because the coverage is carried by two networks, viewers in those cities can watch the Macy's parade on the other network's station, and thus the parade is not entirely
pre-empted in those markets.
In 2008, a
Coca Cola CGI ad aired in the USA during
Super Bowl XLII. The commercial's plot consisted of Underdog and fictional
Stewie Griffin balloons chasing a Coke bottle-shaped balloon through New York City. The spot ended with a Charlie Brown balloon holding the Coke balloon. The advertisement won a Silver Lion Award at the annual Lions International Advertising Festival in
Cannes, France that year, and the clip of the commercial with the Griffin balloon was featured in a Macy's commercial in October 2008 (along with clips of
Miracle on 34th Street,
I Love Lucy and other media where the Macy's department store was mentioned.
Parade route
The Parade has always taken place on Manhattan Island, one of the '
Five Boroughs' that make up New York City. Originally the parade started from
145th Street in
Harlem and ended at Herald Square, a 6½-mile route. (In Manhattan the higher street numbers are north)
A new route has been established for the 2009 parade. From 77th Street and Central Park West, the route goes south along
Central Park to Columbus Circle, then goes east along Central Park South. The parade then makes a right turn at 7th Avenue and goes south to
Times Square. At 42nd Street the parade turns left and goes east, then at 6th Avenue turns right again. Heading south on 6th Avenue, the parade turns right at 34th Street (Herald Square) and proceeds west to the terminating point at 7th Avenue where the floats are taken down.
[11]
The 2009 route change eliminates
Broadway completely, where the parade has traveled down for decades. The City of New York has said that the new route will provide more space for the parade, and more viewing space for spectators. Another reason for implementing the route change is the city's plan to turn Broadway into a pedestrian-only zone at Times Square.
It is not advised to view the parade from Columbus Circle, as due to higher winds in this flat area, balloon teams race through it.
Today, New York City officials preview the parade route and try to eliminate as many potential obstacles as possible, even going as far as rotating overhead traffic signals out of the way.
The parade rehearsal takes place the night prior (usually at midnight), with no balloons.
Macy's Holiday Parade
Since 2002, Macy's Studios has partnered with the
Universal Orlando Resort (owned by NBC Universal) to bring balloons and floats from New York to the theme park in
Florida every holiday season. The parade is performed daily and includes the iconic Santa Claus float. Performers from the Orlando area are cast as various clowns, and the park invites guests to be "balloon handlers" for the parade.
Incidents and injuries
- In 1986, a Raggedy Ann balloon crashed into a lamppost and sent a lamp into the street. The same year, a Superman balloon had its hand torn off by a tree. Neither incident caused any injuries. [12]
- In 1993, The Sonic the Hedgehog balloon crashed into a lamppost at Columbus Circle and injured an off-duty police officer. [13]
- In 1994, the Barney balloon tore its side on a lamppost, but no one was injured. [12]
- In 1995, the Dudley the Dragon balloon that was leading the parade was speared and deflated on a lamppost and showered glass on the crowd below. [12]
- In 1997, high winds pushed the Cat in the Hat balloon into a lamppost. [16] The falling debris struck a parade-goer, fracturing her skull and leaving her in a coma for a month. Size rules were implemented the next year, eliminating larger balloons like the Cat in the Hat. [17] The same high winds also caused the New York Police to stab and stomp down the Barney balloon over crowd concerns. They also stabbed a Pink Panther balloon for the same reason. Neither balloon actually caused any injuries. [12]
- In 2005, the M&M's chocolate candies balloon caught on a streetlight in Times Square. Two sisters were struck by falling debris, suffering minor injuries. As a result, new safety rules were introduced. [19] Those rules came in handy for the 2006 parade, as balloons were lowered because of rain and high winds. The M&M's balloon was retired after 2006, and replaced by a float saluting Broadway theatre and musicals.
- In 2008, Keith Haring's Figure with Heart grazed the NBC booth off camera during the live broadcast, momentarily interrupting the introduction of the next float. Hosts Al Roker, Meredith Vieira, and Matt Lauer were largely silent as viewers heard snippets of their voices. Moments later, Lauer explained the incident, with Vieira motioning to where it hit their booth. No one was injured. [20] [21]
Helium shortage
In 2006, parade organizers decided to use fewer balloons in response to a worldwide shortage of
helium. Organizers, in fact, talked of not using any balloons at all, but decided to compromise due to public demand.
[22]
Examples of Balloons
References
- Video and photos of Keith Haring balloon
- Floating back in time with Macy's balloons
- http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,454533,00.html
- http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/entertainment/television/090827_Tiffany_Thornton
- "Television" section of "Today on the Radio", ''The New York Times'', November 23, 1939, p. 40.
- "Radio and Television", ''The New York Times'', November 15, 1948, p. 44.
- "Radio and Television", ''The New York Times'', November 21, 1949, p. 44.
- "Television", ''The New York Times'', November 23, 1961, p. 71.
- "Television", ''The New York Times'', November 27, 1969, p. 75.
- "Television", ''The New York Times'', November 24, 1960, p. 67.
- City to Change Route of Thanksgiving Day Parade
- http://articles.latimes.com/2005/nov/25/nation/na-parade25
- Site of Balloon Accident Is Known for Its Crosswinds
- http://articles.latimes.com/2005/nov/25/nation/na-parade25
- http://articles.latimes.com/2005/nov/25/nation/na-parade25
- Macy's Parade of Balloons Gets One Thing It Doesn't Need: Wind
- Macy's presents safer parade
- http://articles.latimes.com/2005/nov/25/nation/na-parade25
- New safety rules for NYC Thanksgiving parade after balloon crash
- http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2008/11/parade-mishap-keith-haring-vs.html
- http://www.frankmurphy.com/2008/11/never-gonna-give-you-up.html
- NBC telecast coverage, 11/23/06