The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the most iconic events in the U.S., marking the beginning of the holiday season.
The first parade, which took place in 1924, was completely different from the parade we know today. It was initially called the Macy's Christmas Parade to promote the holiday shopping season and originally featured animals from the Central Park Zoo instead of oversized balloons.
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In 1927, organizers changed the event's name to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since it always took place on the morning of Thanksgiving Day and replaced the zoo animals with the iconic giant balloons.
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In addition to the approximately 8,000 parade participants and around 3.5 million people that attend the parade each year on-site, over 50 million tune in to watch it on television screens.
However, hosting such a large and monumental event requires a very high investment, and Macy's is the one left to pay most of the bill.
Macy's struggles to make ends meet and reports declining earnings
Macy's has been struggling with its finances lately, reporting sales declines and announcing multiple store closures, which leadership attributes to the ever-evolving economy and growing competition.
According to Macy's last reported earnings for 2024, company net sales fell 3.8% year over year, with comparable sales down 4%.
The Macy's brand reported declining sales by 4.4%, with comparable sales down 4.5% compared to the year prior.
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During its Q2 earnings call, Macy's said it would enact its turnaround plan to prepare for the holiday season. The company will focus on maintaining healthy inventory levels and cutting unnecessary costs to reverse its declining sales and to have enough investment power for its annual holiday events.
Macy's plans for its 98th Thanksgiving Day Parade, including star appearances
On Nov. 1, Macy's (M) unveiled details of its 98th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the expectations are high.
For the 98th edition of its Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Macy's will have 32 balloons, 17 featuring characters, six of which will be brand new, and 15 representing heritage and novelty. There will also be 5,000 volunteers, 700 clowns, 11 marching bands, and 22 floats, six of which will also be brand new.
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The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade could not be complete without its iconic performances. This year, Macy's will have 10 performance groups and musical stars in addition to Santa Clause, Mrs. Clause, and multiple elves.
The stars performing in this year's parade include Bishop Briggs, Kylie Cantrall, Chlöe, Dan + Shay, Dasha, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Coco Jones, Walker Hayes, Ariana Madix, Joey McIntyre, Idina Menzel, Natti Natasha, T-Pain, Rachel Platten, Lea Salonga, The Temptations, The War and Treaty, Alex Warren, and Sebastián Yatra.
Special appearances will also be made by Jonathan Bennett, Liza Colón-Zayas, Tom Kenny, Ginna Claire Mason, Charli D’Amelio, ballet dancers Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia, The Rockettes, and members of the WNBA's New York Liberty along with its mascot, Ellie the Elephant.
This year's Broadway cast member features include “Death Becomes Her,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” and “The Outsiders.”
The parade will take place in New York City. It will depart from 77th St. at 8:30 a.m. and end its 2.5-mile route in Macy's Herald Square flagship at noon.
For those who can't make it to New York City, the parade will be broadcast live nationwide on NBC and Peacock.
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