10 Shocking Secrets And The Untold History Of America's Thanksgiving Day Parades

Every year, millions of Americans gather around their televisions on the fourth Thursday of November to watch floats glide and giant balloons soar through the streets of Manhattan, marking the official start of the holiday season. This spectacle, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, is an icon of American culture, yet its history is filled with surprising secrets, forgotten rivals, and a bizarre early tradition that would be unthinkable today. As of this current date, December 12, 2025, the parade continues to evolve, adding new characters and modern marvels while honoring a tradition that is rapidly approaching its century mark.

The story of the Thanksgiving parade is not just a tale of New York City; it’s a fiercely competitive history of department store marketing, immigrant ambition, and the creative genius of an artist who literally lifted the parade off the ground. From its humble beginnings with real zoo animals to its current status as a television blockbuster, the parade is a fascinating look at how commerce and celebration merged to create a national holiday staple.

The True Origin: It Wasn't Macy's and It Wasn't New York

The most common misconception about the Thanksgiving parade is that the Macy's event in New York City is the oldest. This is factually incorrect, a detail that often surprises even the most devoted parade fans. The true title of America's oldest Thanksgiving procession belongs to the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade.

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• The Real First Parade: The Philadelphia parade was first held on November 25, 1920.
• The Founder: It was the brainchild of Ellis Gimbel, a member of the family that owned the Gimbel Brothers Department Store.
• Initial Purpose: Like its later rival, the parade was designed to draw shoppers to the store and celebrate the opening of the Christmas shopping season.
• Early Days: The first Philadelphia parade was modest, featuring only fifty Gimbel employees, floats, and marchers. Today, it is still a beloved tradition, now sponsored by various local entities.

Four years later, in 1924, two other major parades began, solidifying the holiday tradition. The J. L. Hudson Company launched America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, Michigan. On the same day, the now-famous Macy’s Christmas Parade (as it was originally called) debuted in New York City.

The Macy’s Phenomenon: From Zoo Animals to Giant Balloons

The Macy's parade quickly became the most famous, largely due to its grand scale and, crucially, a revolutionary change in its attractions. The inaugural Macy's parade in 1924 was organized by European immigrant employees who wanted to celebrate the American holiday in the style of the Old World's grand festivals.

The first Macy's parade featured four bands, elaborate floats, and, most notably, real animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. This included bears, elephants, donkeys, and tigers. While impressive, the real animals proved to be a logistical nightmare, often frightening children and generally being difficult to manage on a city street. This is where the parade's true visionary stepped in: Tony Sarg.

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The Genius of Tony Sarg and the Invention of the Giant Balloon

The transformation of the parade from a procession of live animals to a spectacular aerial show is entirely attributed to the artist and creative director Tony Sarg. Sarg, a famous illustrator, puppeteer, and designer, was hired by Macy's to elevate the parade's visual appeal. He is the undisputed "father of the giant character balloon."

• The First Giant Balloon (1927): Sarg's solution to the animal problem was to replace them with massive, helium-filled rubberized silk figures. The first giant character balloon was Felix the Cat, which debuted in 1927.
• Early Manufacturing: The early balloons were manufactured by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio.
• The Walt Disney Connection: In 1934, Sarg collaborated with Walt Disney to create the first Disney character balloons, including Mickey Mouse and Pluto.

The giant balloons became the signature element, a tradition that continues to this day. They are now so large that their size is regulated by the FAA, and they cannot fly if wind speeds exceed 23 mph.

The Bizarre and Dangerous Tradition of the Balloon Release

Perhaps the most unbelievable historical fact about the early Macy's parades is what happened to the giant balloons after the procession ended. For a few years, Macy's engaged in a tradition that would be considered a major public hazard today: they released the giant balloons into the sky.

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The parade organizers would simply untie the balloons and let them float away, sometimes reaching altitudes of 9,000 feet. Macy's attached a return address and offered a reward—sometimes $100 or a trip to Macy's—to anyone who found and returned the deflated, massive rubber figures.

This practice, which was essentially a city-wide scavenger hunt, led to several near-disasters and comical incidents:

• One balloon landed on the roof of a house in Westchester County, New York.
• Another balloon became entangled in the wing of an airplane, causing the pilot to nearly crash.
• The tradition was finally deemed too dangerous and was officially stopped in 1932.

Today, the balloons are safely deflated and stored for the next year, with the inflation event in the days leading up to Thanksgiving becoming a popular, separate spectacle in its own right.

The Modern Parade: Recent Updates and Ever-Evolving Characters

The Thanksgiving Day Parade continues to be a dynamic event, constantly adapting with new technology and popular culture to maintain its relevance. The introduction of falloons (a combination of floats and balloons) in the 1990s added a new dimension to the display.

To keep the article fresh, it is important to note the latest additions, which reflect the current media landscape. The parade’s enduring appeal lies in its ability to introduce new characters while retaining beloved classics like Snoopy and Mickey Mouse.

Key Recent and Upcoming Additions (2024 and Beyond)

The creative team at Macy's works years in advance to debut new balloons and floats. The newest additions for the 2024 parade showcase a blend of classic Disney characters and modern intellectual property.

• Minnie Mouse: The debut of a massive Minnie Mouse balloon in 2024 finally gives the iconic character her own giant balloon, joining her long-time partner Mickey.
• New Kids' Favorites: Other new balloons announced for 2024 include Gabby (from Gabby's Dollhouse) and a new design for Extraordinary Noorah™ & The Elf on the Shelf®.
• Recent Debuts: In the years immediately preceding, characters like Buzz Lightyear and PAC-MAN have joined the ranks, demonstrating the parade's commitment to reflecting current pop culture.

The Thanksgiving Day Parade, whether it's the oldest in Philadelphia, the Detroit classic, or the globally recognized Macy's spectacle, remains a powerful symbol of American holiday tradition. It is a living, breathing history lesson—a marathon of mirth that began as a simple department store promotion and grew into a national institution, forever changing the way America kicks off its holiday season.