Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Posted by t_bone_stake@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 62 comments
I know this is mostly an US thing but acknowledge those from Canada and other places in the world whom might’ve seen this in person or on tv. Did anyone grow up watching the parade on Thanksgiving morning or made the trip to NYC to see it in person? I never got into it, even as a kid growing up. In my late teens, through some family connections, there was an opportunity to go NYC to see the parade in person. I have a wonderful and beloved family friend that retired from Macy’s as one of their heads of security but for one reason or another, it didn’t work out. Since I’ve no reliable baseline, mostly due to my working Thanksgiving itself (yea supermarket life), what have been your experiences/memories of the annual parade?
MaestroLogical@reddit
I grew up watching it and when I was a Junior in HS I actually got to march in the parade with my school band!
For a suburban kid from Alabama, it was the memory of a lifetime.
RedSolez@reddit
I was in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1995-1998: the first two years on a float, the last two years as a clown. This is me (in blue checkered shirt and cowboy hat) seated next to Shirley Jones on the Hollywood Salute float in 1996. The prior year I'd been on the Soaring Spirit Canoe float with Ms. America Shauntel Smith. In 1997-98 I was a clown walking under the balloons- I know one year I was a patriotic clown, I forget the other costume.
My friend's mother was an executive at Macy's which is how I got to be in the parade. Everyone you see who isn't there on merit (the marching bands, celebrities, etc) are employees of Macy's corporate & retail at the 34th St store and their family & friends. There's an entire department solely for planning the parade and if you apply to be in it as an employee you're pretty much guaranteed a spot.
We used to stay at the Hotel Pennsylvania right across from Penn Station the night before. Then at 5am on Thanksgiving morning, we walked to Macy's with 3+ layers of undergarments to prepare for our day in the parade. Upon arrival, we were taken up the freight elevators (an experience in itself) and up to the corporate offices within the store. Everything was organized like a well oiled machine- you'd check in, and immediately go to the room where your group would be costumed. After getting into costume, you'd ride the elevators of the completely empty store to go up to the cafe for makeup. Macy's in NYC only closes 3 days a year (back then at least)- Thanksgiving day, Christmas Day, and Easter. Being in the store when it's totally empty is wild! Anyway, once in the cafe the makeup artists sat behind the counters and would do your makeup in the style your costume required.
After makeup, they'd take us in coach busses up to Columbus Circle for the start of the parade. What you might not realize watching on TV is that the parade runs in real time- so when there's a commercial break, the whole parade stops in place and interacts with the crowd nearby. Each group has to join the parade one by one, and it's announced "Patriotic clowns.... please join the parade." So if you're watching from the middle or end of the route, you are waiting a little while before you start to see anything. And at street level it's hard to see anything but the balloons unless you manage to get there crazy early in the morning. The parade is only worth viewing in person if you can see it from a balcony.
There are no performances along the route- only in front of Macy's. Everyone who "sings" is lip syncing (pretty obvious) because there'd be no time to mic everyone up otherwise. The balloon handlers are all ordinary dudes and if the wind is too strong, they'll fly them really low to avoid accidents. I was right behind the Cat in the Hat balloon in the year the wind picked up and it took out a lamppost that crashed into the crowd and caused injuries. I saw that happen in real time.
Being in the parade was a thrill. Crowds of people as far as the eye could see, so excited to see you. Once we arrived in front of Macy's, those of us in the know knew to be on the left side of the float (or walk on the left side of the group) so we'd be facing the cameras. I would wave in a circular motion so my family would know it was me. But the very best part of the day was the after party at Macy's. Several floors of the store would be cleared out for the party. Every room had themed food- like for example, the dessert room didn't just have a gingerbread house, it had an entire gingerbread village where everything in the room was edible. There were also VIP sections that only certain celebrities were invited into- so we'd stand outside of those to catch sightings. I always wanted to meet Joey Lawrence but it never happened. I did however meet the entire cast of Sesame Street, Paul O'Neil, Eric McCormack and Debra Messing, Shirley Jones, Fred the Dunkin Donuts man, and many others I can't even recall. I do recall Vanessa Williams because she was a total biatch!!
It was one of the best experiences of my life and I'm grateful to my friend (who is still my friend 31 years later) for bringing me into it. But every year when I watch with my own kids, I am SO HAPPY it's not me there anymore as I am sitting in my warm house 😂.
RedSolez@reddit
lavasca@reddit
I watched it annually. Then, Turkey Trots became a thing.
t_bone_stake@reddit (OP)
I’m well aware of Turkey Trots. Buffalo, NY, where I live, is home of the world’s longest consecutive held Trot and will be doing its 130th annual event on Thanksgiving.
lavasca@reddit
Fabulous. I was unaware until adulthood
xRVAx@reddit
Used to watch it every year as a kid.
Now can't stand it, for whatever reason. Maybe it's the commercials. It just seems fake somehow.
Bah humbug, I know.
desertdweller2011@reddit
we went into the city for it one year (from the suburb i grew up in ~an hour away). the night before, we went to see the rockettes st radio city and went to FAO Schwarz (the toy store in Big) and my mom took me into the plaza hotel to take a picture in front of the portrait of eloise. when we got to the hotel at night, my mom was helping me change into my pj’s because i had a broken arm in a sling…. that’s when we discovered i had chicken pox lol. after i’d touched every toy in the toy store etc etc. i had to watch it on TV after all 😂🫠
HopelesslyHuman@reddit
I've watched it every year for as long as I can remember. Most of those with my mother. She loved it. It was so big to her each holiday season.
One of the few disappointments of my college marching band that was otherwise amazing all around was that we didn't do Macy's while I was there. They did it in 97 and were eligible when I was there 00-03 but the new director didn't want to do it. My mother would have been over the moon to see her son in it.
I don't know if I'll watch it this year. Mom passed in June and I just don't know if I have it in me.
irate_alien@reddit
grew up in NY out on the Island. we went to see them blowing up the balloons the day before a couple of times which I thought was way more fun than the parade. it was the 80s, no one cared about safety, and you could wander around wherever you wanted. later in high school i was in the marching band and we marched in the Columbus Day parade every year which made me forever hate parades with a passion.
RogerClyneIsAGod2@reddit
It was always on, watched it as a kid, as a teen I was still asleep when it was on, now as adult who is doing the cooking I have it on to watch while I cook.
I also enjoy the dog show after.
portagenaybur@reddit
Since a late teenager in the 90s, the Macys parade has always been a favorite hangover recovery from the Wednesday night before.
cellrdoor2@reddit
I lived in Detroit growing up and we had our own big parade with balloons and floats. Only went to see it with the family a few times but it was always on the tv. I worked at The Detroit Parade Co as a sculptor and a painter for a few years during college too. It was a great job and I attended the parade working repairs for all those years. The stories…
the_kid1234@reddit
I watched it as a kid, so I put it on. My kids don’t care about it. :/
zixy37@reddit
Watched it on TV growing up and went to see it twice. It is fun but wouldn’t be for everyone (crowds, cold, early!!!). You see so much more being there! There is just an energy there and we’ve met wonderful people that we randomly stood by.
agentmkultra666@reddit
I hate Thanksgiving and don’t celebrate but I do love watching the parade. I feel like being there in person would be too much but I like to watch it on tv (or youtube nowadays). I don’t know, i just love a theme and costumes and parade floats, it’s festive and fun.
weeziefield1982@reddit
I watch it with my Mom every year. At the end when Santa comes out she goes look its Santa to me cause I am the youngest. I am 43, lol. I love it
yourlittlebirdie@reddit
Watched it every single year of my life without fail, except those years I was living abroad on Thanksgiving. It wouldn’t be the holiday season without it to me.
somenemophilist@reddit
Seeing the Rockettes and Santa at the end is like the kickoff for the season.
Euphoric-Proposal-42@reddit
Same
GrungeCheap56119@reddit
Parades are a little too boring to me, so we never bothered going or watching.
sunnyD6481@reddit
We went to the parade a few times when I was little. My dad always carried me on his shoulders. He loves to tell me how one year he handed me off to Dolph Lundgren. Apparently he walked with me on his shoulders for a block before I was handed back.
krissym99@reddit
I went in 1994 when I was in 8th grade. I grew up in NJ and always wanted to see it. I remember that it was crowded and I'm pretty short, so it wasn't easy to see. It was freezing but my Knicks Starter Jacket kept me warm. We got hot chocolate at one point. It's a fond memory but I've otherwise preferred watching from the couch!
jem20776@reddit
I still yell, "Look, Santa is coming!" in the midst of my cooking, even though my kids are in their 20s
sorrymizzjackson@reddit
Absolutely. I make my cat and husband watch it. 😂
eannaj@reddit
Live in NYC area, used to live a block away from the parade route. It was really neat to just walk down the street with coffee or mimosas and catch a bit of the parade then walk back. It’s really chill in person, at least uptown. Nothing like NYE, crowds were minimal and people moved around a lot. But that also made it sort of boring, since it’s not like being at home and having the commentators flip back and forth between balloons and performers and interviews. If you’re standing there, you’re basically just staring at the same enormous balloon or float for like 10 minutes til the parade moves. 😂 my mom really loved it though.
twilightswimmer@reddit
My family always had it on. My mom said Christmas season didn't start until Santa made his appearance at the end of the parade.
sorrymizzjackson@reddit
I mean, that is indeed a fact so.
Euphoric-Proposal-42@reddit
That’s the same thing my mom says! We still watch it on tv every year
maggie320@reddit
Planning on tuning in this year as always. I’ll tell you right now the Sesame Street float I had to see, it just warmed my heart to see Bob every year. The Rockettes we also HAD to watch. The Garfield and Snoopy balloons were my favorite. And seeing Santa at the end meant the Christmas season officially started. I always associate it with the smell of sage though since the cooking was starting during the parade.
sorrymizzjackson@reddit
Yesssss. That is the exact cadence for this. It’s also best watched while rifling through the big newspaper with the Black Friday ads, but alas they’ve taken that away.
My husband hates (secretly loves) the parade. He wouldn’t turn it on himself but it is one of my non-negotiable stand on business demands for the year so he doesn’t get too discombobulated before he ends up kind of getting into it.
Euphoric-Proposal-42@reddit
💯
Capable_Swordfish701@reddit
I worked at macys as a teenager and ive been to nyc to see it as a little kid. As a little kid it was cold, i was tired cause i had to get up early so we could get seats in the bleachers, and i hated it.
When i worked there i had the opportunity to go work the parade holding one of the ropes. But i didnt go, cause i remembered hating it and being cold as a little kid.
Kinda wished id gone now looking back.
japhia_aurantia@reddit
I've seen it occasionally. My nephew's marching band was in the parade a few years ago so we definitely watched that. I'm usually too busy cooking to watch much tv.
ConsciousChicken1249@reddit
I liked it up until 2020, now I watch old reruns
HeightLatter6800@reddit
Tradition in our house is to watch the parade while the meal is being cooked. I loved it as a kid and have tried to continue the tradition but I’m the one cooking now and usually miss most of the parade.
RedSolez@reddit
I was in it from 1995- 1999. I will come back later when I'm not drunk and give some fun details about what it's like behind the scenes!! But it was one of the coolest experiences of my entire life.
bluejane@reddit
I always watched it on tv growing up and now. It might have been the only exposure I got to musicals when I was younger. I have never been or have any desire to see it in person it looks crowded and like, where are the bathrooms?
daughtcahm@reddit
The first time I ever watched it was at my in-laws house. I had heard about it, I was vaguely aware it was a thing, but never knew anyone who watched it.
I still don't "get" it. So I only watch it passively if we happen to be at the inlaws and they have it on in the background.
I'm not even sure I know how to watch it. My spouse and I haven't had broadcast or cable tv... since 2005? I'd have to look up where/if you can stream it.
Plastic-Sentence9429@reddit
I've watched it for as long as I can remember, and still do, and my kids do too, with about the same semi-interest. It's comfortable.
One year, my sister was working at a small company that had an office along the route, and no one was going to be there. She gave my wife and me the keys, as we were in town. We went up and watched it from like the 10th floor, which was really cool.
We totally did it while Snoopy and Clifford and whomever were floating by.
Professional_Milk783@reddit
Yes, I’m in NJ so I’ve been to the parade twice. It all depends on how cold it is and where you stand - at some point you are layered into so many people in the crowd that you can’t move and your knees start to ache since you can’t move or bend your legs.
No thanks.
katie_cat_eyes@reddit
We watch it every year and periodically watch old parades on YouTube. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
That being said…
You do not want to be a participant or working anywhere near the route. Someone I know used to work at a hotel right by the end of it, and she would miss an entire day just trying to get to work and then leaving it and fighting public transport to get home where at that point, most people have finished dinner. Another friend was a clown for a few years and I could not be bothered to get up that early and walk the route. The weather could also be good but then you are still up early.
So basically, unless you lived on the route, there was no getting home for food. NYC while fun in the winter isn’t that much fun if you hate crowds.
LemurCat04@reddit
I used to work in a building right on the route and our cafeteria overlooked the route. Before COVID, they used to open it up for employees to watch the parade, and you could buy a catered breakfast. I never did it, because you had to be there crazy early and I wasn’t spending a precious day off hauling myself in there and back.
Otherkin@reddit
I'll catch it on TV if my family remembers and there's no football on yet.
ObjectiveFlatworm645@reddit
I TRIED to watch it last year, too boring. I grew up watching it. I've also tried putting it on for my daughter but she wasn't into it either. IDK. Too much commercial appeal...
curlyhairedsheep@reddit
I grew up watching on tv, and I went in grad school. Watching on the UWS, even without the performances, was the most magical thing. You start with Thanksgiving and Tom Turkey and you end with Santa and the transition from Thanksgiving and fall to winter and Christmas within the parade is flawless. Constant entertainment.
Gloom_Pangolin@reddit
It was one of those things that was on but not watched intensely. Personally my big one to watch is the dog show that comes on after. I will sit and cheer for the dogs.
Kinetic_Silverwolf@reddit
I'm happy for those who enjoy it. I've never cared. I still don't understand the point of it, or most any other parade. It's not fun to be a member of the crowd standing on the side of the road for hours with no place to sit, and the few times I've been part of a parade it's just been all stress beforehand and getting bored halfway through the event.
cloudydays2021@reddit
I grew up here in NYC and I’m still here, so I’ve been to it a handful of times. I’m going this year, actually. It’s not as terrible as someone upthread wrote re: people wearing adult diapers - it’s not like NYE in Times Square; the parade spans roughly 40 blocks and there are vantage points along the route that aren’t penned in. It’s also helpful if you just want to see some and not all of the parade. There isn’t any shortage of things to do in NYC even on Thanksgiving Day, so checking out some of the parade and then moving on to another part of the city is an option for sure.
Anyway, I always have it on Thanksgiving morning as tradition.
DrButtgerms@reddit
Lived in NYC for decades. Attending the parade is right up there with attending NYE in Times Square. No thanks
t_bone_stake@reddit (OP)
Good to know. Thanks for your insight fellow NYer (even though I live on the other side of the state)
Sea_One_6500@reddit
I lived in NY when I was growing up. We went every year.
ScaredOfTrolls32@reddit
I love to watch it every year! It was not a ritual growing up but it makes me teary every year and when my kids were old enough I love to announce when the floats they might like are coming up
bikeonychus@reddit
As a kid, I only ever saw it in movies, so I just assumed it was a movie thing, and not an actual event.
We didn't really do parades in the UK in the 90s, unless it was for some sort of sporting event we won, or the Royals did something.
t_bone_stake@reddit (OP)
It’s very much real. While I have no way of actually knowing, I think the signal back in the 80s, possibly 90s, was strong to reach some parts of southern Canada.
rialucia@reddit
I probably saw on tv it several times as a kid, but I didn’t really get into it until the last 10 years or so. I used to enjoy live tweeting it back when I used the app formerly known as Twitter. It’s such a fun and cozy tradition and I love following it up with the Dog Show!
ohwowimonredditcool@reddit
it’s for the most fanatical. yes you can get lucky having connections and volunteer to hold a rope or else youre just standing in one spot for close to 12 hours and yes everyone wears diapers. you smell the ones who don’t. to reduce chance of crowd injuries they fence out little sections to stand in like diaper wearing farm animals. listen the city is cool but the parade and new years are psychotic. next time you watch it look deep into the bystanders’ eyes. theyre all dead inside
t_bone_stake@reddit (OP)
Like I’d mentioned, I had the opportunity to see it in person through my family friend but at the same time, the time to take off work for travel (even though I live in the same state), lodging, and finding other things to do to fill what essentially is a long weekend, is consuming. Add in that I’d get bored rather quickly and being in a crowd for hours on end isn’t my thing, I can’t imagine doing it in person
marcos_MN@reddit
It’s always been on every year, including adulthood, but mostly as background noise while I get ready to go see the fam, before football starts
analogthought@reddit
Watched it every year growing up and continue to do so. I lived in NYC for several years and the first year I was there I went to the parade as close to Macy’s as I could get - not only was it the year that the m&m balloons knocked over a light pole but also I learned while watching marching bands mime playing silently so the audio wouldn’t be picked up on tv - since I was positioned right before they all stopped to perform for the cameras in front of the store. They also gunned it to get Santa Clause on tv to the point he almost fell backward. It was definitely left better to watch it at home, but at least I can say I went 🤷♂️.
BrattyTwilis@reddit
It's been tradition for me to watch it every year. I did live in the NYC area for a few years, but wasn't able to attend it live because I ended up hosting dinner those years. Trust me, I wanted to though
nvmls@reddit
It was always a big deal because my grandpa used to take my mom when she was a kid every year so that my grandma could cook in peace. We lived far enough for it to not be feasible to go, but she would have it on TV every year so it kind of makes the holidays official for me.