The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1924. Macy’s organized the event in New York City as a holiday spectacle leading to its flagship store at Herald Square.
The inaugural parade featured Macy’s employees in costumes, floats, professional bands, and live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. Santa Claus appeared at the finale, arriving at the store and being crowned “King of the Kiddies.” More than 250,000 people reportedly watched.
The parade’s giant character balloons came later, debuting in 1927. It was also not America’s first Thanksgiving parade: Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving parade began in 1920. Macy’s event became especially influential because of its scale, Manhattan route, and eventual national television coverage, which began in 1953.