40+ Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Photos Through the Years

You can’t say Thanksgiving in the United States without automatically thinking of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Since the first parade took place in 1924, the parade has won over the hearts and imaginations of Americans everywhere, leaving everyone guessing which enormous balloons will make an appearance. If you’ve ever wondered how the parade has evolved, we’ve compiled a list of images featuring the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from throughout the years.

The First Parade

The United States was doing pretty darn good during the Roaring Twenties - and so was the now-famous department store, Macy's. To celebrate the "largest store in the world," the brand decided to throw a parade for New York.

Elephants and other animals borrowed from the New York Zoo filled the streets. You may notice that the banners don't say Thanksgiving, but rather Christmas! The parade actually started with the intention of kicking off the Christmas season.

Here Comes Felix the Cat

Felix the Cat was a cartoon character created in 1919. He had the honor of being the first balloon to ever grace the parade, but he wasn't like the balloons we know and love today.

Instead of helium, Felix was actually filled with normal air, which of course meant that he couldn't float. Rather he was held up by his minders with stilts. We bet he still made quite the impression on the crowd!

Out Come the Balloons

Once balloons made an appearance, they became a huge hit. But in the early years of the parade, television had barely been invented, and people didn't have a plethora of beloved characters like we do today.

This led to the balloons being more simple back then, like the fish and tiger (or is it a horse?) featured here. We have to admit that the skills of those who make the balloons have vastly improved since these days.

The Parade Grows in Popularity

By 1931, New Yorkers had had nearly 10 years of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades under their belts. It seemed it was a tradition that was here to stay and so, of course, the parades started to grow in grandeur.

We can't say this dragon is a particularly fierce one, but the size of that crowd certainly is. It's also unusual to see the street flooded with paradegoers since nowadays the streets the parade passes down are completely blocked off for safety.