When Was the First Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade—And What Was the First Float?

The very first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade took place on November 27, 1924 and it originally had a different name. For its first three years, the annual event used to be known as the Macy’s Christmas Parade. It was created by employees “in an effort to boost holiday sales and highlight Macy’s new store,” the Library of Congress explains. The first parade featured festive floats and even animals like elephants, lions, and tigers from the Central Park Zoo. 

An archive clipping from The New York Times described the inaugural parade as having a “retinue of clowns, freaks, animals and floats, the bewhiskered man in red, in sight of thousands of persons.” Macy’s notes that an estimated 10,000 people attended the first parade. 

While the parade looks a bit different 100 years later, some details haven’t changed, like the presence of the big man in red: Santa Claus. 

The very first float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924 featured Santa Claus riding in a grand sleigh. The New York Times archive notes Santa arrived at the parade at 9 a.m. and hours later was “crowned 'King of the Kiddies' on the marquee above the entrance to Macy's new store in Thirty-fourth Street near Seventh Avenue.”

Since then, Santa has always been part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, traditionally at the very end. In 2024, Santa’s Sleigh returns as the largest float in the parade, clocking in at 60-feet long, 22-feet wide, and 3.5 stories tall.

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In 1927, the name of the event had officially been changed to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and giant balloons were on display for the very first time, replacing the live animal element, according to NBC New York.  

The first balloon at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was of the popular cartoon character Felix the Cat. “In the 1920s, Felix was a huge star in comics and animated movies. He joined the Macy's parade in 1927 as the very first character balloon,” NPR’s Morning Edition explained, adding that he was originally “paraded down on stilts because he only contained air,” as helium hadn’t been used until the following year.  

Felix the Cat has returned only a few times over the years, most recently in 2016. While the black and white feline isn’t scheduled to make an appearance this year, the line-up for the 2024 parade includes several historic characters like Beagle Scout Snoopy, Minnie Mouse, Ronald McDonald, and Smoky Bear.