In preparation for the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, we look back on the evolution of the popular and iconic parade balloons.
Much has changed over almost a century. The first big change happened in 1927 when Macy’s changed the parade from Christmas to Thanksgiving. On November 24, 1924, the first parade kicked off a tradition. Although it occurred in November, the first parade was dubbed the Macy’s Christmas Parade.
Along with changing the parade to Thanksgiving in 1927, balloons were also debuted the same year. The first balloons replaced live animals, which reportedly frightened the children attending the parade. Tony Sarg, labeled “America’s Puppet Master,” introduced the balloons. According to the parade’s fandom page, Sarg imagined the balloons as “upside-down marionettes.”
Macy’s stated that the Felix the Cat balloon was the first balloon introduced in the parade. However, other news clippings and articles state that Felix the Cat didn’t debut until 1932.
Early Parade Balloons
As technology evolved from the 1920s to the 1930s, so did the parade balloons.
In the early 1930s, the parade really took off and grabbed a lot of attention when it hit the one million attendees mark. to capitalize on this, the balloons needed an upgrade. While there wasn’t much of an “improvement” on the looks, the parade added sound effects to the balloons. For example, Fritz the dachshund barked, the pig oinked, and the baby cried.
Some of the most iconic parade balloons were debuted in the 1930s. However, they looked much different.
Mickey Mouse is one of the most iconic characters ever, which is also true of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloons. Like the cartoon, Mickey’s balloon looked slightly different in 1934 when the Disney mascot debuted in the parade. The first Mickey balloon was constructed using simple round rubber and balloon shapes at the Goodyear headquarters in Akron, Ohio.
The first version of the Mickey Mouse balloon stood 40 feet tall and 26 feet wide and required 25 handlers. In 2024, the Captain Mickey Mouse balloon from Disney Cruise Line will be featured, which is 61 feet tall, 48 feet long, and 33 feet wide and requires 90 handlers.
Fast-forward to 1940, when another iconic character debuted in the Macy’s Parade: Superman. The almost unrecognizable Superman was designed by Sarg and constructed out of neoprene-coated rubber at Goodyear in Akron. The “Giant Superman” measured 75 feet in height and 44 feet in width, and 9,000 cubic feet of helium were needed for the balloon to fly down the streets of Manhattan. Two more versions of Superman were developed before the superhero was retired from the parade in 1987.
Another iconic superhero became the “Official Superhero of the Macy’s Parade.”
Spider-Man officially debuted in 1981 as a costumed character in the parade. When the Superman balloon was retired, Spider-Man took over. The last Superman design and the first Spider-Man balloon show how much the parade’s balloons evolved from the 1940s to the 1980s.
Today’s Parades
As we approach the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, let’s appreciate how far the designs have come.
In 2024, we will see a new Goku balloon, a Minnie Mouse Balloon, and even a balloon for the hit kids show Paw Patrol. Each new balloon is incredible in detail and massive in size. Also, a new version of Spider-Man will debut this year, showing how far the balloon version of the friendly neighborhood superhero has come.
We took a major jump throughout the years of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons. However, there are hundreds of balloons that represent the ongoing evolution of the balloons. While the parade’s balloons keep evolving, the balloons continue to feature iconic characters from past and present.
