The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade featuring Santa Claus took place in 1924.
Macy’s organized the parade in New York City as a promotional event for its flagship department store. The inaugural procession included floats, animals from the Central Park Zoo, entertainers, and Santa Claus, who appeared at the end as a signal that the Christmas shopping season had begun.
The parade was originally called the Macy’s Christmas Parade. Its name changed to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1927, helping establish the title used today. Santa’s arrival remains the traditional finale, linking the Thanksgiving event with the start of the holiday season.
The parade later became a major televised tradition, with giant character balloons joining the floats. Although Macy’s had used holiday parades before, 1924 is the key year for the first Thanksgiving Day version.