Nothing says Thanksgiving quite like pilgrims, pie, and parades. Every Thanksgiving morning I wake up to the smell of Thanksgiving food cooking in the kitchen. My mom makes breakfast and there we all sit in front of the TV, eating our cinnamon rolls and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year is the 90th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but before we get into all the amazing things happening this year. Let's take a look at where it all began.
1920s
The first Macy's Day Parade took place in 1924. The idea for the parade came from a group of European immigrant who worked at Macy's. The employees wanted to celebrate the American Holiday. The parade featured zoo animals, a mother goose float, Santa Claus and yes, balloons. Throughout the 1920s, the parade continued to grow in popularity.
1930s
The crowds continued to grow in the 1930s. Millions came to watch and see what Macy's would do next. In 1931, the first ever character balloon, Felix the Cat, was seen the in the parade. The characters were a huge hit. Mickey Mouse balloon made an appearance in 1934 and Pinocchio in 1937. During the 1930s, Macy's also started a new thing, in which they would release the balloons at the end of the parade with a tag on them. Anyone who found and returned the ballon got a Macy's gift card.
1940s
Parade canceled. The parade was put on hold from 1942 until 1944 during World War II. After a three year break, Americans were ready for more of Macy's magic. The crowds came to see the new balloons that were added to the lineup. During the 1940s the show first began being broadcast.
1950s
Is Macy's running out of air? Even in the midst of a U.S. helium shortage, the parade continued to wow viewers (even if they did have to use cranes to keep the balloon from falling in 1958). In 1952, NBC became the official broadcaster of the parade. With the cameras, came the celebrity appearances. In 1959, Shirley Temple and her children were a part of the parade.
1960s
New floats and New hosts! In 1962, Betty White and Lorne Greene began hosting the broadcast for the parade, but that's not all. In 1964, Manfred Bass used hydraulics and creativity to make the floats come to life. The parades in the late 1960s featured floats that looked like a flying bird and a dog wagging its tail.
1970s
No balloons, no problem. In 1971 there were no balloons in the parade due to rain, but the show did not lack entertainment. Throughout the 1970s, a number of talented performers were booked for the parade including, Diane Ross. Don't worry, the balloons were back in 1972.
1980s
Much like the hairstyles, things were big in the 1980s. With the help of Goodyear, Macy's floated their biggest ballon yet, Superman. With the big balloons, Macy's implemented the balloon crew. The ballon crew consisted of trained handlers, captains, and pilots that directed the balloon through the parade.
1990s
Pop culture highly influenced the parade throughout the 1990s. The balloon count doubled since past decades. Many new character balloons were introduced. "Clifford The Big Red Dog" in 1990, "The Cat in the Hat" in 1994, "The Rugrats" in 1997 and "Blue's Clues" in 1999. Pop performers like Christina Aguliara also made appearances in the 1990s.
2000s
Having younger Disney and Nickelodeon stars perform in the parade was a huge trend in the 2000s. Hillary Duff, the cast of "High School Musical," Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers and Miranda Cosgrove appeared in the parades during the 2000s.
2016
This year is the 90th Macy's Day Parade. The event will feature many balloon favorites like Charlie Brown, Hello Kitty, Spongebob, and Harold the Fireman. Musical performances from Brett Eldredge, Daya, and Kelsea Ballerini. You can see the full parade line up, here.
To catch the action live tune to NBC on 9 a.m. Thanksgiving morning.
