Photo Story: 88-th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade presented by the US retail store chain Macy's. The tradition started in 1924.

The three-hour Macy's event is held in New York City starting at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thanksgiving Day, and has been televised nationally on NBC since 1952.

It features giant balloons, marching bands and performances by pop stars.

The first parade was held in 1924, but the trademark balloons (and movie and TV tie-ins) were still years off. The parade featured live animals from the Central Park Zoo, including lions, bears, camels and elephants. Macy’s employees dressed as clowns, cowboys and in other costumes also walked the 6-mile route, which at the time went from Herald Square up to Harlem.

The signature balloons made their debut in 1927, with Felix the Cat at the forefront. Times were different then: balloons were released into the skyline at the end of the parade. Macy’s turned it into a contest: They put return addresses on the balloons and offered rewards to anyone who nabbed one.

 

1 of 11 | November 27, 2014, Thursday EPA/BGNES

The spiderman ballon floats down Central Park West at the Macy`s 88th Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, New York, USA, 27 November 2014.

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