Living a Happy, Healthy Retirement

Best Thanksgiving Day Parades in America 2023

Mike

Introduction to the Best Thanksgiving Day Parades

Being a history buff, I have to begin an article on the Best Thanksgiving Day Parades with a little bit of history. Though there are probably hundreds of parades across the country, I have chosen to focus upon the larger, more well know parades. Interestingly, the three parades I have cited below all began with sponsorship by local/regional department stores. Given the fame of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise.

Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade

The idea of a store-sponsored Thanksgiving parade did not originate with Macy’s. Instead, the concept debuted with Philadelphia’s Gimbel Brothers Department Store, which first staged a Thanksgiving procession in 1920 with 50 people, 15 cars and a fireman dressed as Santa Claus who ushered in the Christmas shopping season. The parade continued for over 60 years until Gimbel’s closed in 1986.

After Gimbel’s closed in 1986, station WPVI-TV/6abc agreed to continue the holiday tradition that signifies the official arrival of Santa Claus in the “City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection….” With the support of corporate sponsors, 6abc has been producing the parade ever since. It continues to warm the local community and attracts an extensive lineup of celebrities, floats, balloons, performance groups and marching bands.

The 1.4-mile parade route starts off from the intersection of 20th Street and JFK Boulevard, turns left onto 16th Street and then left onto Ben Franklin Parkway. The entire parade route is free and open to the public, other than a limited number of grandstand seats in the telecast area that are for sponsors and VIPs only.

The telecast area is located near the end of the route, directly in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The parade is aired live on channel 6abc and is syndicated to various markets east of the Mississippi. The parade can also be viewed as a live webcast on 6abc.com.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Macy’s held its first Thanksgiving Day parade in 1924, the same year that Detroit held its first parade as well. That inaugural year it was called the Macy’s Christmas Parade. That first day it followed a route from 145th Street and Convent Avenue to the Macy’s store at 34th Street and Broadway. Three floats pulled by horses, four bands, and zoo animals from the Central Park Zoo.

The parade became a hit in the 20’s so Macy’s decided to commit to sponsoring for the near-term…with that decision developing into a longer-term commitment. Those early parades were staged by Macy’s employees, many of whom emigrated to America from Europe and wanted to stage a celebration similar to the ones in their home countries.

In 1927, the giant balloons that are now the signature element of the parade made their first appearance with the help of helium. The balloons were intended to replace the zoo animals, which were frightening to some children, and the first balloons included cartoon characters like Felix the Cat.

In 1931, pilot Col. Clarence E. Chamberlain snagged a balloon with his airplane’s wing, which led to a ban on retrieval by airplanes the following year. But after the 1932 parade, another pilot attempted to capture a balloon and nearly crashed, leading Macy’s to stop releasing the balloons at the parade’s end due to a fear of public safety.

In 1934, celebrities became an important element of the parade, with singer-actor Eddie Cantor joining the parade that year. The ever-famous Mickey Mouse helium balloon was also introduced that year.

The parade has been canceled a few times, once from 1942-1944 due to a shortage of helium and rubber making because of World War II and then once again in 2020 due to the covid outbreak and skyrocketing cases.

The 2022 parade featured 6 giant character balloons, 28 floats, 40 novelty and heritage inflatables, more than 700 clowns, 12 marching bands and 10 performance groups, and a host of musical stars as well as Santa Claus. Quite the event compared to the original parade in 1924.

Every year, the Macy’s team behind the parade works to outdo the previous year’s parade. That gives everyone a sense of anticipation for 2023. The three-hour parade is held in Manhattan, ending outside Macy’s Herald Square, takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thanksgiving Day, and has been televised nationally on NBC since 1953. The Parade’s workforce is made up of Macy’s employees and their friends and family, all of whom work as volunteers.

Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Detroit Thanksgiving Parade, a cherished holiday custom for over 80 years, traces its origins back to Hudson’s, the iconic downtown Detroit department store. In 1924, the parade made its inaugural journey down Woodward Avenue, coinciding with the inception of Macy’s parade in New York City.

For countless Michigan families, the official commencement of the holiday season hinged on the moment when “the real Santa Claus” disembarked from the parade’s concluding float onto the Woodward marquee of Hudson’s. Here, he graciously accepted the key to both the city and “the hearts of good children everywhere.” The following day, eager parents and children were whisked up the elevators to the store’s enchantingly adorned Toyland for a special audience with Santa.

In its inaugural year, Detroit’s Thanksgiving parade showcased horses drawing a float adorned with Mother Goose, four papier-mâché heads, and seven marching bands. Since then, the parade has undergone substantial expansion in both size and spectacle. Along its two-mile journey down Woodward, it has captivated millions of warmly dressed spectators with the addition of giant balloons, intricate floats, lively marching bands, beloved cartoon characters, and appearances by celebrities.

A unique aspect of the festivities involves local business and community leaders volunteering as members of the parade’s Distinguished Clown Corps. These festive clowns distribute candy and spread seasonal good cheer to all attendees, adding the joyous atmosphere of the event.

The parade was first broadcast on radio station WWJ in 1931. It was first locally in 1948. The parade is now broadcast nationally to more than 100 million viewers. Because of material shortages during World War II, the parade was suspended in 1943 and 1944. Hudson’s resumed sponsorship of the event in 1945 and continued until 1980. The Detroit Renaissance Foundation became the sponsor until 1983. Control was then transferred to the newly created Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation, whose non-profit, tax-exempt, Parade Company organizes the event with the help of hundreds of volunteers.

Best Thanksgiving Parades for 2023

2023’s Top Thanksgiving Day Parades: Everything You Need to Know

This article provides the introduction below as well as a short write up of each of the featured parades. I have quoted the article introduction below:

“Everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving Day parades are back in 2023 after a rough couple of years. If you’re in a festive mood and looking to catch up on the parade fun, Way.com gives you the details on this year’s most popular parades—how to get there, what you can expect to see, and how you can watch them from the comfort of your own home.

Parades have been an essential part of holiday festivities since time immemorial. Thousands of people across the country brave the weather and crowds to watch their favorite Thanksgiving Day parades each year. This year, you can expect all the massive floats, festive holiday balloons, and marching bands you’ve come to expect.

We break down the details of this year’s most famous Thanksgiving parades with information on where they’ll take place, what routes they’ll follow, and, if you can’t be there in person, where you can watch them from your very own living room.“

The Best Thanksgiving Parades in the U.S.

This article, which comes from “Timeout”, provides a bit longer list than the first article. In addition, it provides a “Read More” link to each of the parade’s homepages if you would like more information. I have quoted the article’s introduction below:

“Thanksgiving is full of traditions: turkey, pie, gathering with friends and family. But for millions of Americans, the first tradition they enjoy when they wake up on the day is turning on the TV to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, which has been attracting crowds by the thousands since it started in 1924.

Today, tens of millions of viewers tune in yearly to watch performers entertain alongside giant helium-filled characters and dazzling floats as they roll down the streets of Manhattan.

While New York’s parade steals the national limelight, big cities and charming small towns hold their own Thanksgiving Day parades to celebrate the holiday, showcasing marching bands, giant balloons and local celebs. Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and New Orleans are a few major cities that put on quite the show with their own twist come Turkey Day.

This year, consider peeling yourself away from the TV and heading down to an in-person Thanksgiving parade that will get you in the festive spirit before you head back to your home-cooked feast.”

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