Over the past 88 years, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has become an irreplaceable staple of Thanksgiving festivities.
Every year, millions of Americans flock to the streets of Manhattan to see the parade in-person or gather around their television sets to watch the parade from home.
What began as a small Macy's employee-run event has morphed into a huge production that requires almost an entire year's worth of preparation.
Most years, the parade has gone on with little complications, but others, weather delays and balloon-related injuries have created a nightmare for parade officials.
The first Macy's Day Parade was on November 27 in 1924 and was referred to as the Macy's Christmas Parade. The parade originally featured Macy's employees and live animals from the Central Park Zoo. Floats, instead of balloons, were the main attraction.
The parade began in Harlem at 145th Street and ended in front of the Macy's flagship store on 34th Street. It was originally called the Macy's Christmas Parade, but was renamed the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in 1927.
An estimated 250,000 spectators attended the first parade. Today, about 3.5 million people attend.
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