The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (originally called the Macy’s Christmas Parade) first marched in New York City on November 27, 1924.

Quick answer

  • The event now known as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade started in 1924.
  • The inaugural parade took place on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1924 , in Manhattan.
  • For its first few years, it was promoted as the Macy’s Christmas Parade before the name shifted to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

A tiny bit of backstory

  • The parade was created by Macy’s employees to celebrate the holiday season and draw attention to the store’s big Herald Square location.
  • That first 1924 parade featured floats, bands, and live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo, with Santa Claus closing the show and symbolically kicking off the holiday shopping season.

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