Macy's Day Parade

In this episode - Macy’s Day Parade . . .

Thanksgiving in America is known for traditions like turkey dinners, football games, and Black Friday sales. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a long-standing tradition that captures millions of hearts.

For nearly a century, the parade has been a source of joy for people of all ages, attracting millions of viewers in person and on television. The parade features giant balloons, marching bands, Broadway musical casts, and celebrity performers, making it America's biggest Thanksgiving Day spectacle. It is hard to imagine Thanksgiving morning without this iconic parade. But how did it all begin? And how has it become a beloved tradition that people look forward to every year?

It was 1924, and Macy's held its first Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade featured store employees, entertainers, floats, marching bands, and animals from the Central Park Zoo. Santa Claus concluded the parade by riding into Herald Square. Over a quarter million New Yorkers attended the parade, and Macy's declared it an annual event.

Over the years, the parade has transformed into a magnificent spectacle with large helium-filled balloons instead of zoo animals. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company created the balloons in the late 1920s, back then released and return address labels were sewn into them so that whoever found them could return them to Macy's and receive a reward.

Macey’s parade grew in popularity throughout the 1930s, and by 1933, it had over a million viewers. The festivities were broadcast over the radio starting in 1932 and continuing until the advent of television. The parade was put on hold from 1942-1944 due to World War II, but it resumed in 1945, breaking records with its crowds.

In 1947, the movie "Miracle on 34th Street" celebrated the parade, which was then known as the "Macy's Day Parade." This marked a turning point, and the tradition became well-known and beloved.

1948, the parade was broadcast on national television for the first time. CBS aired the festivities for the first few years, but since 1952, NBC has broadcast the official telecast. The telecast has gone through a long list of hosts, from Betty White to Ed McMahon to Katie Couric. The current team to lead the TV coverage includes Today Show hosts Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, and Hoda Kotb.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2016 had an estimated 45 million viewers, with four million lining the route in NYC. It's the most-watched non-competitive event of its kind on Television every year - a symbol of holiday joy throughout the country.

I’m Patrick Ball. Happy Thanksgiving! See you in the next episode.

Comments

Resurrecting the '90s Graphite

Let’s face it, there’s a certain danger in reading John Gierach's Trout Bum . His wit, self-deprecation, and sharp, effortless satire are entirely infectious. If you aren't careful, his words will inspire you to drop everything, wade into a freezing river, and try to outsmart a creature with a brain the size of a lentil. In my case, re-reading Gierach recently didn't send me straight to the river. It sent me digging through the dusty, spider-guarded corners of my garage. In the early 1990s, seeking a natural escape from Manhattan's concrete canyons, I decided to learn to cast a fly rod. I bought an Orvis Rocky Mountain —eight-and-a-half feet, three ounces, built for a five-weight line—and had absolutely no idea how to use it. To avoid aimlessly whipping the water like scrambling eggs, I took fly-fishing lessons from Al Cucci, co-author of Hatches , on the Delaware River. With his guidance, I fished renowned waters: the AuSable in New York and Michigan, and New Jersey...

A B+ Kind of Life

Welcome back to this week's On the Fly . Retirement has taught me something unexpected: life gets a lot more enjoyable when you stop chasing perfection. Lately, I've been having an absolute blast playing executive par-3 courses like Rancho Carlsbad . A short iron, a sunny morning, and nowhere to be except the next tee—that's my kind of day. This Thursday, though, I'm raising the stakes. I'm heading to The Links at Lakehouse in San Marcos, a full-size par-71 course with enough water hazards to keep the local fish well-stocked with my golf balls. After shooting a 64 on a par-3 course, I've set myself a new goal: shoot an 89 before my birthday next August. Why 89? Because on a par-71 course, that's bogey golf—one extra stroke per hole. For non-golfers, think of it this way: par is like earning 100% on a final exam. Bogey golf is a solid B+. You got the job done, learned something, and probably had a lot more fun getting there. The older I get, the more I appre...

From Mailbox to Microphone

In this episode, catching up with Sierra . What happens when you combine a little imagination, modern digital tools, and the willingness to make a glorious, muddy mess? You get our guest’s latest project. I’m Patrick Ball. Welcome back to On the Fly . Today, we are diving into the world of native plants and guerrilla gardening with twelve-year-old creator Sierra. After watching her impressive, self-produced tutorial on how to make ‘Seed Balls,’ I had to know how she did it. It’s incredibly inspiring to watch Sierra evolve from a young artist wielding crayons and stationery into a savvy digital creator. She’s writing scripts, mastering voiceovers, and editing—all to make a positive, green impact on her local community. “She shoots, she scores, and she’s here to tell us all about it.” Please welcome Sierra to On the Fly ! Let’s get into it. Audio interview . . . For more blog posts showcasing Sierra’s talents, see: The Mailbox Surprise . . . and The Summer Surprise I’m Patrick Ball. Sta...

The Birth of a Cubs Legend

In this episode, The 162-Game Exhale — and the Birth of a Cubs Legend There’s a hush in the baseball world on Game 162 — a collective breath drawn in and slowly released. Scoreboards stop flipping. Dugouts empty. For six months, the game has been our steady heartbeat, pulsing from the cherry blossoms of Tokyo in March to the crisp, playoff-charged winds of late September. And now, as the regular season exhales, baseball fans everywhere pause to absorb the story we’ve just lived. For me, that story has been deeply personal. This season unfolded in the rhythms of my daily life. It was the summer soundtrack echoing beneath the constant turmoil of politics and sensational headlines. It was a handful of carefully chosen ballpark pilgrimages stitched together with countless nights in front of MLB.TV. And at the center of it all, for a lifelong Cubs fan like me, it revolved around one name — a young center fielder who turned hope into history: Pete Crow-Armstrong. The 2025 season didn’t begin...

On The Fly

Search This Blog