nov 27, 1924 - First Macy's Parade
Description:
Macy’s, New York City’s most iconic department store was prospering in the Roaring Twenties, just like the rest of the United States. They had such good business in 1924 that they decided to expand their store to cover a whole block. This building had 1 million square feet of retail space, stretching from Broadway to 7th Avenue along 34th Street. To showcase the grand opening of this “World’s Largest Store” at the start of the big holiday shopping season, Macy’s decided to throw New York a parade on Thanksgiving morning. Despite its timing, the parade was not intended to be about Thanksgiving at all, but more about the next upcoming holiday, Christmas. They hoped that this parade would excite its customers and get them prepared big holiday shopping that year. In the parade, store employees marched to Macy’s Herald Square dressed in vibrant costumes along with floats, professional bands, and even live animals borrowed from a nearby zoo, all followed by Santa Claus who was at the end of the parade.Site 1: Wikimedia Foundation. (2023c, May 15). Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macy%27s_Thanksgiving_Day_Parade#
Site 2: A&E Television Networks. (n.d.-e). The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. History.com. https://www.history.com/news/the-first-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade
Added to timeline:
Date:
nov 27, 1924
Now
~ 100 years ago