History UsefulNotes / MacysThanksgivingDayParade

From the TurnOfTheMillennium onwards the parade has increasingly embraced the presence of the internet, including a 2006–07 poll for viewers' favorite floats and balloons on the [=NBCUniversal=]-owned iVillage site, utilization of the Shazam and Zeebox (now Beamly) apps, and a brief stint with iTunes in 2012. Despite all this, they haven't lost touch with their roots, and are known to acknowledge it during the parade itself, most often during {{milestone celebration}}s; in conjunction with that they'll usually bring out a recreation of a long-retired balloon (although nowadays this will mostly be because said balloon will be ported to [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal Orlando]] the following month for the Macy's Holiday Parade,[[note]]which at least one larger balloon (the WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle one) has also taken part in[[/note]] making for a NegatedMomentOfAwesome on the part of [=NBCUniversal=]).

[[http://social.macys.com/parade/ Official site.]] More detailed info can be found, as always, on Website/ThatOtherWiki [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macy%27s_Thanksgiving_Day_Parade here.]] The parade's fascinating history, along with some of the more interesting bits, was also acknowledged by NBC in a prime-time special aired in conjunction with its 85th anniversary in 2011, and that has been uploaded in its entirety [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mCeBK43a0A on YouTube]].

The years have brought many changes to the event. For example, the parade didn't get any actual CelebrityEndorsement until [[Creator/TheMarxBrothers Harpo Marx]] appeared sometime during TheGreatDepression -- tough to imagine today, since the parade now runs on star power as diverse as Music/{{Kiss}}, Music/MeghanTrainor, and Creator/CicelyTyson. As time marches on, the floats have become more and more elaborate (Cracker Jack's 2014 livecam-featuring float and the specially-designed 2013 float for Creator/CirqueDuSoleil being the most impressive so far) and along with the balloons, designing and creating them have grown to become an art form. And, difficult though it may be to believe now, the parade wasn't particularly well-known outside of New York until the 1947 film ''Film/MiracleOnThirtyFourthStreet'' boosted its reputation, right as it was recovering from a UsefulNotes/WorldWarII-induced multiyear hiatus.

One of the must-watch events of UsefulNotes/ThanksgivingDay in the US, the annual '''Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade''' -- founded as the Macy's ''Christmas'' Parade in spite of the date, and often shortened to simply the "Macy's Day Parade" -- is held in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity every Thanksgiving, presented by the department store Macy's; the parade's route always ends at the main entrance to the retailer's flagship 34th Street location. Launched in 1924, it is one of the nation's longest-running Thanksgiving parades.[[note]]The absolute longest-running is the Gimbels parade in Philadelphia (currently sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts), which started in 1920; America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit was also founded in 1924.[[/note]] Boasting a slew of spectacularly-designed balloons and floats, augmented with dance groups, marching bands and appearances from celebrities, the parade ends with the arrival of SantaClaus and is considered by many to be the official start of the American [[UsefulNotes/ChristmasInAmerica Christmas and holiday season]] each year.

What's also worth noting is that while it has featured particularly JustForFun/{{egregious}} {{Enforced Plug}}ging and ProductPlacement, especially from TheEighties onwards, the parade (along with UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}'s older Gimbels/Ikea/Dunkin' Donuts parade, affectionately referred to as simply "The Philly Parade") could be the UrExample[=/=]TropeMaker[=/=]TropeCodifier for ProductPlacementName. And while at least 90% of modern usage of this trope is for said product placement (often during sports programs), the Macy's Parade has been run mostly by actual Macy's employees since day 1. Even the celebrities who appear have to become Macy's employees just for the week.

One of the must-watch events of UsefulNotes/ThanksgivingDay in the US, the annual '''Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade''' (often shortened to simply the "Macy's Day Parade"; founded as the Macy's ''Christmas'' Parade despite the date) is held in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity every Thanksgiving, presented by the department store Macy's; the parade route always ends at the main entrance to the store's flagship 34th Street location. Launched in 1924, it is one of the longest-running Thanksgiving parades in America.[[note]]The absolute longest-running is the Gimbels parade in Philadelphia (currently sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts), which started in 1920; America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit was also founded in 1924.[[/note]] Boasting a barrage of spectacularly-designed balloons and floats, spiced with dance groups, marching bands and appearances from celebrities, the parade ends with the arrival of SantaClaus and is considered by many to be the official start of the American [[UsefulNotes/ChristmasInAmerica Christmas and holiday season]] each year.

In TheRoaringTwenties, many of the Macy's employees were first-generation immigrants, who wanted to celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving with a big street party like the ones they had in their native countries. And thus, the Macy's Christmas Parade (as it was originally named, despite being held on Thanksgiving Day) was born. While there were still floats and clowns, the first few parades didn't have any balloons -- their spot in the parade was taken by live animals, borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. The balloons were only brought in because the animals being used in the parade included lions and tigers, which were scaring children along the route.

What's also worth noting is that while it has featured particularly JustForFun/{{egregious}} {{Enforced Plug}}ging and ProductPlacement, especially from TheEighties onwards, the parade (along with UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}'s older Gimbels/Ikea/Dunkin' Donuts parade, affectionately referred to as simply "The Philly Parade") could be the UrExample[=/=]TropeMaker[=/=]TropeCodifier for TropeCoTropeOfTheWeek. And while at least 90% of modern usage of this trope is for said product placement (often during sports programs), the Macy's Parade has been run mostly by actual Macy's employees since day 1. Even the celebrities who appear have to become Macy's employees just for the week.

The parade can be viewed in person along the parade route, which spans from Central Park West to the Macy's store on 34th Street; the store's entrance has special seating which can only be obtained through contests and the like. For those who can't make it, Creator/{{NBC}} has televised the parade annually since 1952 to millions of viewers worldwide, while Creator/{{CBS}} shows their own, unofficial coverage from the middle of the parade route (in fact, the CBS coverage was a factor in the parade's decision to change the route, so that NBC could keep it away from their rival). Both networks provide color commentary from their morning show hosts, although NBC's coverage, mainly provided by the ''Series/{{Today}}'' tag team, is usually seen as the more interesting (though possibly more polarizing, depending on your opinion of the hosts) to experience. Meanwhile, because CBS's coverage cannot feature many of the good bits (such as the musical/Broadway performances), they substitute their own in the form of extra {{padding}}, including holiday recipes and extended interviews as well as their own musical performances.

The parade can be viewed in person along the parade route, which spans from Central Park West to the Macy's store on 34th Street. The store's entrance has special seating which can only be obtained through contests and the like. For those who can't make it, Creator/{{NBC}} has televised the parade annually since 1952 to millions of viewers worldwide, while Creator/{{CBS}} shows their own, unofficial coverage from the middle of the parade route (in fact, the CBS coverage was a factor in the parade's decision to change the route, so that NBC could keep it away from their rival). Both networks provide color commentary from their morning show hosts, although NBC's coverage, mainly provided by the ''Series/{{Today}}'' tag team, is usually seen as the more interesting (though possibly more polarizing, depending on your opinion of the hosts) to experience. Meanwhile, because CBS's coverage cannot feature many of the good bits (such as the musical/Broadway performances), they substitute their own in the form of extra {{padding}}, including holiday recipes and extended interviews as well as their own musical performances.

The parade can be viewed in person along the parade route, which spans from Central Park West to the Macy's store on 34th Street. The store's entrance has special seating, that can only be obtained through contests and the like. For those who can't make it, Creator/{{NBC}} has televised the parade annually since 1952 to millions of viewers worldwide, while Creator/{{CBS}} shows their own, unofficial coverage from the middle of the parade route (in fact, the CBS coverage was a factor in the parade's decision to change the route, so that NBC could keep it away from their rival). Both networks provide color commentary from their morning show hosts, although NBC's coverage, mainly provided by the ''Series/{{Today}}'' tag team, is usually seen as the more interesting (though possibly more polarizing, depending on your opinion of the hosts) to experience. Meanwhile, because CBS's coverage cannot feature many of the good bits (such as the musical/Broadway performances), they substitute their own in the form of extra {{padding}}, including holiday recipes and extended interviews as well as their own musical performances.