They used to release the balloons at the end of the Parade. Yes, seriously.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a huge part of our holiday tradition, but there's a ton of work that goes on behind the scenes every year to make it happen.
We visited the Macy's Parade Studio in Moonachie, New Jersey to learn how the floats and balloons are made, and just how many costumes it takes to dress the parade participants. (Spoiler: It's a whopping 4,000.)
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The first Parade in 1924 was called “Macy’s Christmas Parade” although it took place on Thanksgiving Day. It was renamed in 1927.
Here's an original ad for the first Parade in 1924.
Courtesy of Macy's
Live animals — including lions, bears, tigers, camels, goats, elephants, and donkeys — were a part of the original Parade processions.
Here are elephants on the Parade route in 1924.
Courtesy of Macy's
In 1927, Macy’s replaced the live animals with giant balloons.The first balloons included Felix the Cat, The Dragon, The Elephant and Toy Soldier.
Here's Felix in 1927.
Courtesy of Macy's
