Makayla White
In the 1930s, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was already a major New York City event. By that decade, it had become a tradition that brought large crowds to Manhattan each Thanksgiving morning. Despite the Great Depression, people still lined the streets to watch giant balloons, costumed marchers, and festive floats move down Broadway toward Macy’s Herald Square. The parade gave the city a sense of celebration when the rest of life felt uncertain and hard.
The parade first began in 1924, but the 1930s shaped its character and scale. Early in the decade, Macy’s replaced live animals from the Central Park Zoo with enormous rubber balloons created by puppeteer Tony Sarg. These balloons, filled with helium, became the parade’s signature attraction. Crowds watched characters like Felix the Cat, Mickey Mouse, and later Superman float between buildings, drifting high above the crowds. Each year, the designs grew larger and more detailed, reflecting Macy’s growing investment in the event.
The 1931 parade featured new engineering to make the balloons more durable. Teams of handlers, known as balloon wranglers, managed the ropes while police officers kept the crowds at a safe distance. In 1932, NBC Radio began broadcasting the parade live, allowing families across the country to experience it through their radios. The broadcast described the sounds of marching bands, cheering crowds, and announcers calling out each float’s arrival.
Read more
Economic hardship shaped how people experienced the parade. Many New Yorkers struggled during the Depression, but the event remained free and open to everyone. It became a moment of relief and pride. Macy’s used the parade as both entertainment and promotion, encouraging families to visit the store afterward for the holiday shopping season. The company spent large sums to maintain the parade even when profits were down, understanding its value in lifting public spirit.
The late 1930s brought more elaborate floats and costuming. Parade designers added themes inspired by children’s books and movies, reflecting popular culture of the time. The floats often featured mechanical parts that moved or spun, making the procession more dynamic. Marching bands from schools across the country were invited, giving the parade a national feel.
In 1938, the parade introduced one of its most memorable balloons: a Superman figure standing nearly 80 feet tall. This marked the growing connection between the parade and American entertainment icons. That same year, Macy’s began using safety valves that allowed balloons to deflate slowly if they were punctured, reducing the risk of accidents.
As the decade closed, the parade had become an essential part of Thanksgiving in America. It combined artistry, engineering, and showmanship into a single event that drew hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. Even during a period of financial struggle, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the 1930s remained a powerful display of creativity and optimism, setting the standard for every parade that followed.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings