With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we could think of no better way to get excited for the holidays than learn some fun facts about one of our favorite Thanksgiving staples, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
1. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade started on November 27, 1924. It was originally called the Macy’s Christmas Parade but was renamed Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1927. It featured live animals from the Central Park Zoo, floats instead of balloons, and had an estimated 250,000 spectators.
2. The first balloons that were featured in the parade in 1927 were created by Tony Frederick Sarg. His first balloon, Felix the Cat, was originally filled with air before they started being filled with helium in the following years.
3. The parade was first broadcast on television in 1948. Around 14 percent of Americans watched the parade on television during that time but today around 30 million people tune in to watch the parade on CBS or NBC.
4. Today, over 2,000 volunteers are needed to handle the balloons and there must be 50 volunteers per balloon. Each volunteer must be in good health and weigh at least 120 pounds.
5. This year will feature 16 giant character balloons, 27 floats, 1,300 cheerleaders and dancers, 12 marching bands, and performances by many artists such as Nick Jonas and Hilary Duff.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will return to NBC on Thursday November 27 at 9:00 am! For more fun facts about the history of the parade, check out http://www.businessinsider.com/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-history-2013-11?op=1 and for more information about the 2014 Thanksgiving Day Parade, check out http://www.nbc.com/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/about.