Parade Features
Balloons
Balloons
Floats
Celebrities
Marching Bands
Other Features


Major Balloon Moments
The year 1927 was the first year that balloons were featured in the parade. They were designed by Tony Sarg, a puppeteer who also designed the animated store window in 1935 and subsequent years. [1] These original balloons were Felix the Cat, the Toy Soldier, and the Dragon. This first year the balloons were filled with air instead of hellium. [2]
In 1928 the balloons were filled with hellium and released at the end of the parade. All five were equipped with a return address and designed to release air slowly so as to stay aloft for a week to ten days. People were encouraged to find and return the drifting balloons to Macy’s for a prize of $100.[3]
In 1929 the balloons were released again with a return address; however, because there were ten balloons this year instead of the previous five, the prizes offered were $50 a piece. [4](Grippo)
In 1931 aviator Clarence Chamberlain was flying over NYC and lassoed the Jerry Pig Balloon in midair in an effort to collect the reward money.[5]
In 1932, in a similar attempt to catch a cat balloon, an airplane flown by a novice pilot became entangled in the balloon and almost crashed into Broadway.[6]
In 1933 the practice of releasing the balloons was ended in the interest of public safety. Also in this year, sound effects were added to the Dachshund, the Pig and a Baby balloon.[7]
In 1934 Walt Disney teamed up with Macy’s for the first time, introducing several Disney balloons to the parade, including the famous Mickey Mouse.[8]
In 1939 children’s comic book characters, including Superman, were introduced as balloons, setting the tradition of incorporating pop culture icons into the parade.[9]
In 1940, towards the beginning of WWII, the Uncle Sam balloon led the parade to emphasize patriotism.[10]
In 1942 the deflated balloons were donated to the war effort and turned into 650 lbs of scrap rubber. A ceremony for the donation was held during which NYC Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia plunged a knife into the Happy Dragon balloon. (nyhistory.org) During the next three years the parade was cancelled due to the war, and was not to resume until 1945. [11]
In 1956 winds gusting up to 45 mph blew through the parade route, deflating all the balloons except Mighty Mouse. [12]
In 1958 due to a helium shortage, air-filled balloons were carried down Broadway on cranes. [13]
In 1959 helium was still hard to come by, thus this year’s parade featured only 3 of the helium giants: Popeye, a Spaceman and the Gorgeous Gobbler. [14]
In 1975 the Dino the Dinosaur Balloon was inducted into the American Museum of Natural History as an honorary member. [15]
In 1977 the number of balloons in the parade doubled when parade director Jean McFaddin took over and realized the true promotional potential of the balloons.[16]
In the 1980’s the smaller “novelty balloons” were created. These include the Macy’s signature stars and a 30 ft. ice-cream cone. The decade also introduced “Falloons,” which are a combination float and cold air balloon. [17]
In 1980 the star of the scene was a 100ft long Superman, the longest balloon ever in the parade. [18]
In 1986 Humpty Dumpty made his debut as Macy’s 100th balloon. [19]
In 1993 video games made their mark on the parade in the form of the Sonic the Hedgehog balloon. [20]
In 1997 high winds blew the Cat in the Hat balloon into a lamp post. The arm of the lamp post fell, sending three spectators to the hospital. One woman, Kathy Caronna, was in a coma till February. When she recovered she sued the city, the makers of the lamp post and the store. New safety regulations were put in place as a result. [21]
In 1999 the growth of the Internet was reflected in the parade via its inclusion of the first Internet-inspired balloon, “Ask Jeeves.” [22]
In 2002 the Bill Cosby-created cartoon character Little Bill became the first black character to be represented as a balloon in the parade. Also this year, Uncle Sam made a comeback as the first balloon in the parade, after not having appeared since the 1940’s. [23]
2005 marks the first ever Latina balloon character in the form of Dora the Explorer, from the popular pre-school oriented cartoon adventure series. [24]

 

 

 

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[Images]
1927 Felix image courtesy of: <http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/parade/twenties.htm>© Copyright 2005 Queen's Printer for Ontario Note: The image provided is not of the felix balloon used in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but rather is of a similar balloon used in a Santa Claus parade in Toronto. No image of the Macy's Felix balloon was available.
1932 Airplane image courtesy of: <http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/pictures/betweenDouglas.htm>
1933 Dachsund image courtesy of: <http://www.life.com/Life/lifebooks/macys/gallery/2.html> Copyright © 2005 LIFE Inc. All rights reserved.
1934 Mickey Mouse image courtesy of: <http://www.signaturetravel.com/maup-ny.htm>
1939 Superman image courtesy of: <http://theages.superman.ws/TrophyRoom/macys/> © NEWS
1940 Uncle Sam image courtesy of:<http://www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=805> © 2005 NYC & Company, Inc
1942 Airplane image courtesy of:
1959 Popeye image courtesy of: Charles Phoenix <http://www.godblessamericana.com/slideoftheweek-archive/2004/11-25-04.html>
1977 McFaddin image courtesy of:<http://www.bizbash.com/issue006.html> © Copyright 2000 BiZBash.com
1980's Stars image courtesy of: Geoff Fox <http://www.geofffox.com/gallery/slideshow.php?set_albumName=Macys-Thanksgiving-Day-Parade>
1980 Superman image courtesy of:<http://www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=805> © 2005 NYC & Company, Inc
1986 Humpty Dumpty image courtesy of: Kim Moser <http://www.kmoser.com/photos/fotos_mi.htm>Copyright © 1994-1997 by Kim Moser
 1993 Sonic the Hedgehog image courtesy of: <http://www.michyland.com/Turkey/Macy.htm>
1997 Cat in the Hat image courtesy of: <http://www.michyland.com/Turkey/Macy.htm>
1999 Ask Jeeves image courtesy of: <http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/citywide/thanksgivingparade/>
2002 Little Bill image courtesy of:
< http://www.sheldonbrown.org/journal/images/macys2002/pages/macys-parade03.html > Photos by Sheldon Brown © 2002
2005 Dora the Explorer image courtesy of:< http://shannonyellowhead.myknet.org/>

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[Citations]
[1] (NY Times 1931)
[2] William Leach, Land of desire: merchants, power, and the rise of a new American culture (New York: Pantheon Books, 1993), 331-338.
[3] William Leach, Land of desire: merchants, power, and the rise of a new American culture (New York: Pantheon Books, 1993), 331-338.
[4] Robert M. Grippo and Christopher Hoskins, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Great Britain, Arcadia Publishing 2004, 1-6.
[5]"Facts about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," NYC & Company, n.d., <http://www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=800> (6 December 05).
[6] "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade History," New York City Vacation Package, n.d., <http://www.nycvp.com/frames/theater/thanksgiving_parade_info.htm> (6 December 2005).
[7] "PULSE Thanksgiving Day Parade," New York Times (1857-Current file), 25 November 1991, ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851-2002), B1, (6 December 2005).
[8]"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade History," New York City Vacation Package, n.d., <http://www.nycvp.com/frames/theater/thanksgiving_parade_info.htm> (6 December 2005).
[9]"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade History," New York City Vacation Package, n.d., <http://www.nycvp.com/frames/theater/thanksgiving_parade_info.htm> (6 December 2005).
[10]"75 Years of Holiday Magic: The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," New York Historical Society, (2001-2002) <http://www.nyhistory.org/macyday/> (6 December 2005).
[11] "75 Years of Holiday Magic: The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," New York Historical Society, (2001-2002) <http://www.nyhistory.org/macyday/> (6 December 2005).
[12]"PULSE Thanksgiving Day Parade," New York Times (1857-Current file), 25 November 1991, ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851-2002), B1, (6 December 2005).
[13]"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade History," New York City Vacation Package, n.d., <http://www.nycvp.com/frames/theater/thanksgiving_parade_info.htm> (6 December 2005).
[14]
[15]"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade History," New York City Vacation Package, n.d., <http://www.nycvp.com/frames/theater/thanksgiving_parade_info.htm> (6 December 2005).
[16] Marla Matzer, "The Price of Hot Air," U.S. News and World Report: InfoTrac Buisiness Index ASAP, December 1997, <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/698/579/99340445w3/purl=rc1_BIM_0_A20> (6 December 2005).
[17]
[18]
[19]"PULSE Thanksgiving Day Parade," New York Times (1857-Current file), 25 November 1991, ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851-2002), B1, (6 December 2005).
[20]"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade History," New York City Vacation Package, n.d., <http://www.nycvp.com/frames/theater/thanksgiving_parade_info.htm> (6 December 2005).
[21]
[22]"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade History," New York City Vacation Package, n.d., <http://www.nycvp.com/frames/theater/thanksgiving_parade_info.htm> (6 December 2005).
[23] "Parades, Turkeys, Races Mark Thanksgiving,"
[24]