A beloved New York City tradition, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade celebrates its 100th edition this year.
A beloved New York City tradition, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade celebrates its 100th edition this year.
1st floor, Leah & Michael Weisberg Monumental Treasures Wall
A beloved New York City tradition, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade celebrates its 100th edition this year.
Macy’s employees created the first parade in 1924 and marched in costume along with clowns, bands, nursery-rhyme themed floats, and Central Park Zoo animals. They started the route at 145th Street and ended at the Macy’s 34th Street entrance, where Santa Claus unveiled Macy’s elaborate Christmas window displays for the holiday season. Just a few years later, parade organizers retired the zoo animals and introduced inflatable balloons.
An annual celebration in New York City since its origins, the parade has been held every year except for a pause between 1942 and 1944 because helium and rubber were needed for the war effort. The route was shortened after World War II, but broadcasting, production innovations, and expanding audiences have grown the parade into a global celebration.
The New York Historical has a special connection to the event, since the current route begins just outside the museum’s entrance on Central Park West and balloons are inflated alongside the building on 77th Street. This installation will feature numerous depictions of the spectacle from our collections, Bruce Helander’s Macy’s Mickey Mouse, ca. 1934, and event materials from Amy Kule, the parade’s longtime executive producer. Curated by Emily Pazar, assistant curator of decorative arts and material culture
Exhibitions at The New York Historical are made possible by the Saunders Trust for American History, the Evelyn & Seymour Neuman Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.
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