The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the largest and most recognized parades in the United States. It began on November 27, 1924, when Macy’s employees marched to 34th Street in New York City dressed in costumes, accompanied by professional bands and live animals borrowed from local zoos. The turnout was massive, and Macy’s quickly declared it would become a yearly tradition.
The giant helium balloons — now the parade’s most iconic feature — made their debut in 1927. Over the decades, characters ranging from Felix the Cat and Mickey Mouse to Superman and Snoopy towered over New York City streets, drawing millions of spectators. Below is a look at some of the most memorable giant balloons from the late 1920s through the 1980s.
In the parade’s earliest years, giant floats and novelty balloons were still finding their identity. The 1929 parade featured a Captain Nemo float rolling through New York streets, but organizers were also experimenting with a new idea — releasing helium-filled balloons into the sky at the parade’s end. Each balloon carried a tag, and Macy’s offered a $100 prize to anyone who recovered one. That was a significant sum of money during the Great Depression.
By 1930, the parade had grown into a full-scale spectacle. Felix the Cat, one of the most popular cartoon characters of the era, became a recognizable face in the balloon lineup. The crowds that packed Broadway grew larger every year, eager to see which new giant characters would appear.
Fantasy creatures were popular choices in the early 1930s. A dragon balloon charmed crowds in 1931, and a giant pig balloon floated above the streets in 1932 — photographed against the backdrop of the Empire State Building, which had only opened the year before. A soldier balloon also marched down the route that same year, adding a patriotic touch to the lineup.
In 1934, Mickey Mouse made a notable appearance — not just in the parade itself, but tied to a dirigible in Glendale, California, where the balloon was prepared before being flown in to escort Santa Claus into New York City. It was a grand entrance for the world’s most famous cartoon mouse.
The 1937 parade — the thirteenth edition — was especially packed with giant balloon characters. A sea serpent swooped low over crowds on Broadway, a dragon roared down the route, a cop balloon hovered above 56th Street, and a festive Christmas stocking floated ahead of the Santa Claus float. Multiple balloons shared the sky that year, making it one of the most visually dramatic parades to that point.
The 1938 parade featured a remarkable entry: a balloon depicting two acrobats, designed by Rudolf Lopez, a 12-year-old from Brooklyn. Macy’s ran balloon design contests during this era, and Lopez’s winning creation actually made it into the official parade. That same year, a towering Uncle Sam balloon wowed the crowd along the route.
The 1940 parade brought two major characters to the skies. Superman — in helium-filled rubber form — rose over Times Square to lead the march, becoming an instant crowd favorite. That year also saw the only balloon in parade history made in the likeness of a living person: comedian and entertainer Eddie Cantor. No other real person has ever been depicted as a Macy’s parade balloon before or since.
The parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944 due to World War II, as rubber and helium were needed for the war effort. When it returned in 1945, New Yorkers packed the streets. A helium-filled clown floated past the Empire State Building along 34th Street, a giant pumpkin drew spectators leaning out of windows to catch a glimpse, and Times Square was once again alive with the energy of the event.
The postwar years brought fresh characters and bigger balloons. A pilgrim father floated near the Mayflower Hotel on Central Park West in 1946, a giant baseball player rolled down 7th Avenue that same year, and a comic fireman hovered above Broadway in 1948. By 1949, the parade was drawing an estimated two million spectators — a number that showed just how deeply the event had embedded itself in American culture.
The 1950s saw balloon designs grow even more ambitious. A dachshund trotted down Broadway in 1950, a flying fish soared over midtown in 1951, and by 1953, a 70-foot rubber spaceman reflected the country’s growing fascination with outer space. Mighty Mouse appeared in 1956, and Popeye made a towering showing in 1957 — standing 56 feet tall, 32 feet wide, and filled with 6,000 cubic feet of helium.
Popeye returned again for the 33rd parade in 1959, floating above the 1.3 million spectators packed into Times Square. A balloon toy soldier also joined the route during this era, adding a stiff-backed, military flair to the procession. In 1961, a large-headed dragon sailed over Columbus Circle, continuing the parade’s tradition of fantastical creatures.
The 1962 parade brought comedian Jimmy Durante riding atop a Jumbo the elephant float, while Donald Duck floated through the streets on his own balloon. Superman came back in 1966 — this time workers spent hours filling the massive rubber figure with helium before it took to the skies over the city.
The late 1960s introduced some of the parade’s most beloved long-running characters. Smokey the Bear floated at 58 feet tall in 1969, and Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip joined the route that same year alongside the Kilgore, Texas marching band. Snoopy would go on to become one of the parade’s most frequently returning balloon characters.
By 1973, the skies above Central Park West were crowded with a lineup that included Snoopy, Linus the Lion, Mickey Mouse, and the Happy Dragon — all soaring in the same parade. Mickey Mouse calmly surveyed the packed crowd below as millions watched from the streets. That year’s parade was a showcase of just how far the balloon program had come since those first inflatable characters debuted in 1927.
The 1979 parade marked the arrival of Kermit the Frog at the 53rd annual event — a sign that the parade was keeping pace with the characters capturing America’s attention through television. Snoopy was also back on the route that year, a reliable crowd favorite year after year.
Is that…Pinocchio?