Yahoo Lifestyle 15 Facts About the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
What would Thanksgiving be without the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Now in its 98th year, the parade is one of the most enduring traditions for many families—whether that means getting up before dawn to attend in person or watching on TV.
Viewers will get to see 34 floats, 22 massive balloons and 7 wheeled "balloonicles" parade along the 2.5-mile route. This year’s parade also includes with 11 marching bands, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups and 5000 volunteers.
An estimated 50 million people around the globe will be tuning in to NBC to see Snoopy, Santa Claus and a galaxy of superstars. It is said that for the past three years, more people watch the parade on TV than the New Year's Eve festivities or the Oscars.
Honda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker are back as hosts of the shindig which will include nonstop entertainment, including musical and dance numbers from the Broadway shows, the Outsiders, Hell's Kitchen and Death Becomes Her.
And there's so much more. Drag: The Musical’s Joey McIntyre, Cole Escola, star of Oh, Mary!, Chicago's Ariana Madix and Sebastián Yatra, Charli D’Amelio from & Juliet will be on hand. And other stars like Jennifer Hudson, Kyle Minogue, Billy Porter, Lea Salonga, Cynthia Erivo, Idina Menzel, T-Pain, the Emmy-winning star of the Bear Liza Colón-Zayas, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, The Temptations will also make an appearance along with New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia, the North American tour company of Riverdance and the Radio City Rockettes.
A century after it began, the parade continues to be an important part of the holiday. Here are some fun facts about this iconic parade.
Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Facts
When did the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade begin?
The parade was started a century ago, in 1924, by Macy’s employees. While helium balloons were not included, they did have a menagerie of animals from the Central Park Zoo like bears, elephants, monkeys and camels.
How long was the original Macy's Thanksgiving Parade route?
The first parade route was a considerably longer six miles. With an estimated 250,000 people lining the streets. Macy’s placed ads in New York newspapers the following day to make sure that everyone knew the parade would be back next year.
What was the first helium balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade?
Massive balloons made their debut three years later in 1927. The first balloons to make an appearance in the parade were Felix the Cat, a toy soldier and a dragon.
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What are the new balloons for 2024?
Minnie Mouse balloon joins the Macy's parade in 2024. (Mickey first appeared in 1934.) Other new balloons include Elf on the Shelf with Extraordinary Noorah, Goku from Dragon Ball and Marshall from PAW Patrol.
When was the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade first televised?
The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade was first broadcast on the radio in 1932, but it wasn't until 1946 that the parade was shown on television and that was only in local NY markets. In 1947 the parade was finally shown nationally on NBC.
What is the largest float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade?
The largest float is Santa’s sleigh that extends 60 feet long, 22 feet wide and 3.5 stories tall. Santa has closed the Macy’s Parade every year with the exception of 1932, when he led the official parade march.
Why did the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade stop?
For three years during WWII Macy’s paused the parade because of helium and rubber shortages. They donated 650 pounds of scrap rubber to the government to aid the war effort.
What is the tallest balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade?
In 2024, the Minnie Mouse balloon holds the distinction of being the tallest balloon in the parade. The new addition measures a whopping 60 feet tall and 34 feet wide. But the tallest balloon in parade history was 102 foot tall Olive Oyl holding her baby Swee’Pea in 1986. In 1980, the 80 foot Superman balloon was the second tallest balloon in the parade’s history.
How much helium does the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade use?
Every year, approximately 400,000 to 700,000 cubic feet of helium are used to inflate the balloons for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. That staggering amount makes Macy's the second largest consumer of helium in the U.S.—after the government.
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How big is the Pillsbury Doughboy balloon?
If you created a "dough-sized" version of the Pillsbury Doughboy balloon, it would take more than four million Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.
When did Smokey Bear return as a parade float?
Smokey Bear who celebrated his 80th anniversary in 2024 returned as a balloon that same year. The bear who is the face of wild fire prevention awareness made his parade debut as a giant character balloon in 1966.
Who's the longest-serving Macy's Parade host?
The NBC Today show anchors have a long connection with the parade. This is Savannah Guthrie’s 13th and Hoda Kotb’s seventh year as hosts. And 2024 marks Al Roker's 30th year hosting the parade.
How many hours are spent working on the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade?
It takes a village to put on a parade! The Macy's Parade Studio Team which includes around 27 painters, carpenters, animators, sculptors, welders, scenic/costume designers, electricians and engineers spent over 8,000 hours working on the parade.
How much paint, glitter and confetti are used in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade?
That's a lot of paint, glitter and confetti! This year along 2,000 gallons of paint, 300 pounds of glitter, 200 pounds of confetti and over 375 paint brushes were used to pull off the parade.
Snoopy is back for his close-up! A parade regular since 1968, Snoopy has appeared in 42 parades and this year he celebrates his 43rd float in the sky. The Snoopy we'll see this year will be Beagle Scout Snoopy and best friend Woodstock to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beagle Scouts. Snoopy is 55 feet tall or as high as a 5-story building. 42 feet long or as long as 6 bicycles and 34 feet wide or as wide as 5 taxi cabs. And his massive green hat is as long as 17 beagles lined up end to end!
How long does it take to create a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float?
A Parade float takes approximately four months to construct, (with added time for ideation and design).
