See photos of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade through the years, from 1924 to now

The Tom Turkey float at the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Credit:
Wang Fan/China News Service/VCG via Getty

It's been 100 years since the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off in New York City. Initially called the Macy's Christmas Parade, the event snowballed from its inaugural year in 1924, adding floats, balloons, celebrity performances, and much more. The annual festive affair — which was paused from 1942 to 1944 during World War II, as rubber and helium were needed elsewhere — has included appearances from Kelly Clarkson, the Beach Boys, Kristin Chenoweth, and Rihanna, among hundreds of others.

Ahead of this year's 98th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, check out the photos below of the celebration through the past century.

1928

In its early days, the event was known as Macy's Christmas Parade, though it was changed in 1927. The 5th annual parade in 1928 was the first to feature giant character balloons, as pictured above.

1931

The 1931 parade featured a few memorable mishaps, including one balloon that was torn in half after colliding with an electric sign and another that caught on fire.

1932

At the 1932 parade, a young pilot named Annette Gipson flew with her instructor to recover the giant Tom-Kat balloon, only to get tangled up in its fabric and nearly causing a plane crash.

1933

Many new balloons appeared at the 10th annual parade, including the pictured Gulliver the Gullible in his only appearance.

1934

The 1934 parade was a turning point for Macy's, as the first to feature celebrity appearances from such entertainers as Harpo Marx and Eddie Cantor. It was also the first year in which Disney had a presence, debuting several balloons including Mickey Mouse.

1936

Many of the floats at this year's parade were inspired by classic nursery rhymes and fairy tales, including the Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe, Jack the Giant Killer, Humpty Dumpty, and the Cow That Jumped Over the Moon.

1937

The 1937 parade featured the debut of the Pinocchio balloon, complete with giant nose that may have given some spectators nightmares.

1938

The acrobat balloon pictured here was actually designed by a 12-year-old boy named Rudolf Lopez. A depiction of this balloon was featured in 2016's Ghostbusters.

1945

After a three-year hiatus during World War II, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade returned in spectacular fashion in 1945, boasting five giant balloons, 17 floats, bands, clowns, and more.

1945

"Ol' Man Pumpkin" was one of the highly touted giant balloons in 1945.

1949

Popularized by its inclusion in the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was first televised nationally on NBC in 1948. That hasn't stopped families from witnessing the extravaganza firsthand, as seen in this photo of the 1949 parade.

1952

Before the Space Race began in 1955, the Spaceman balloon debuted three years earlier and came back numerous times throughout the '50s parades.

1958

No matter how many changes are made to the Macy's parade, the appearance of Santa Claus on his signature sleigh is always a highlight.

1958

Braving the cold November weather is an integral part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade experience.

1958

A new tradition began in the late-'50s as the Radio City Rockettes made their debut appearance. The high-kicking dancers have performed at every Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1957.

1961

Spectators of all ages turned out for the 35th parade, which was advertised as "more colossal, more captivating, more colorful than ever."

1961

The Popeye the Sailor Man balloon floated along the streets of New York with his pipe every Thanksgiving from 1957 to 1968.

1964

Clowns frequent the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade every year, to the delight (or dismay) of attending children.

1966

It's not always easy to get a good view of the parade, so some have to get creative.

1967

Betty White and Lorne Greene cohosted the parade from 1963 to 1972.

1968

William Shatner appeared in character as Captain Kirk on the Soap Box Derby float at the 1968 parade.

1968

Children watched as the Popeye balloon made its final appearance at the 1968 parade.

1970

A year after the Apollo 11 moon landing, the 1970 parade featured Snoopy outfitted in an astronaut suit.

1972

In 1972, the Donald Duck balloon was officially retired after 10 previous flights, though it would appear again in 1984. This also marked the final parade hosted by Betty White and Lorne Greene.

1975

The 1975 parade was fraught with accidents, with balloons such as Snoopy the Astronaut, Underdog, and Weeble being torn. Luckily, the Bullwinkle balloon — a Macy's parade staple since 1961 — escaped unscathed.

1982

The 1982 parade kicked off an NBC tradition of at least one Today Show host emceeing the event, with Bryant Gumbel at the helm this year.

1983

The Strawberry Shortcake float — featured in the early-'80s Macy's parades — was one of many crafted with painstaking detail.

1988

Big Bird debuted at the 1988 parade, with the original balloon becoming a constant presence through 2000.

1990

After the premiere of The Simpsons in 1989, the Bart Simpson balloon — complete with skateboard — floated down the streets of New York City.

1992

Goofy, dressed as Santa Claus, appeared as a balloon at the 1992 parade to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the iconic character.

1993

Decades into their run as a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade highlight, the Rockettes are prominently featured as the last or one of the last acts to perform before the parade kicks off.

1995

Al Roker started a lengthy run as co-host in 1995, where the parade featured a whopping 18 giant balloons including Betty Boop.

1995

Woody Woodpecker, who floated through the Macy's parade since the early-'80s, made another appearance in 1995 before being retired the next year.

1997

The giant Rugrats balloon in 1997 included Tommy, Chuckie, and Spike, the first time three characters appeared as a single balloon.

2000

Macy's kicked off the new millennium in style with bandleader Mickey Mouse as one of the more prominent balloons.

2001

The landmark 75th Macy's parade was bittersweet, taking place just two months after 9/11. The parade featured first responders carrying the American flag through the streets of New York.

2002

After being made Macy's Holiday Ambassador in 2002, Kermit the Frog returned to the parade as a balloon for the first time since 1991, redesigned.

2002

Today Show hosts Katie Couric and Matt Lauer frequently emceed the parade together and separately. Couric hosted every year from 1991 to 2005 while Lauer hosted from 1998 to 2017.

2002

Despite being a beloved character for decades, Charlie Brown and his elusive football finally made their first appearance as a giant balloon in 2002.

2003

The Clifford balloon was indeed fitting of his title as a "Big Red Dog."

2004

The 2004 Macy's parade was the last to be broadcast in standard definition.

2005

The United States Potato Board sponsored the Mr. Potato Head balloon, which was active at the parade from 2005 to 2007.

2007

It took until the release of Shrek the Third in 2007 for everyone's favorite swamp-dwelling ogre to appear as a giant balloon in the Macy's parade.

2008

SpongeBob SquarePants has had a giant balloon presence nearly every year at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2004.

2008

The Radio City Rockettes performed to a jazzy version of "Happy Holidays" in 2008.

2008

A whopping 900 clowns appeared at the 2008 parade.

2009

The 2009 parade introduced a new route to bypass Broadway, led by Spider-Man in his first Thanksgiving Day Parade appearance as a balloon.

2009

Buzz Lightyear was in his natural habitat flying above the skies of New York City at the 2009 parade, a year before the release of Toy Story 3.

2010

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a great promotional event for music artists such as Kanye West, who performed his song "Lost in the World" on the Big Apple float in 2010.

2010

The Spirit of America Dance Stars frequently perform pre-parade, doing a routine called "American Hoedown" in 2010.

2011

The Tom Turkey float has had a presence at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade nearly every year since 1973.

2012

Papa Smurf made his giant balloon debut in 2012, following the release of The Smurfs movie in 2011 and ahead of the sequel in 2013.

2014

The 2014 parade introduced six new giant balloons, including Paddington Bear, Power Rangers Mighty Morphin Red Ranger, and Thomas the Tank Engine.

2015

The Red Ranger floated above the skies of New York every year from 2014 to 2019.

2015

Balloons and floats have come and gone at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but Santa Claus endures.

2016

Greg Heffley, from the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series, has had a presence at the parade every year since 2010, with redesigned balloons debuting in 2016 and 2022.

2017

Frozen fan-favorite Olaf made his exuberant debut at the 2017 parade in promotion of his short film Olaf's Frozen Adventure, with further appearances in 2018 and 2019.

2018

Hoda Kotb became Savannah Guthrie's cohost starting in 2018, a position she's held every year since. Due to her impending departure from Today, 2024 might be her final year as cohost.

2019

Sesame Street celebrated its 50th anniversary with a big showing at the 2019 parade, including a splashy opening number.

2020

The COVID pandemic forced Macy's to rethink their parade in 2020, with performers such as the Rockettes wearing masks and enforced social distancing. The parade was closed to the public and filmed for broadcast.

2021

With The Mandalorian becoming one of the biggest shows in preceding years, Grogu (a.k.a. Baby Yoda) flew above New York City starting at the 2021 parade. Lucasfilm designed the balloon in collaboration with Funko.

2022

Mariah "Queen of Christmas" Carey performed her ubiquitous holiday smash "All I Want for Christmas Is You" at the 2022 parade, decked out with a crown, elaborate dress, and matching umbrella.

2023

Disney honored the company's 100th anniversary with various iconic characters aboard its Cruise Line float, including Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Genie, Mirabel, Princess Tiana, and more.