Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Today
November 23, 2011 5:00 AM 
There are all kinds of Thanksgiving traditions some of the most popular being football, family dinners and–to start off the day–the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The first annual Macy’s turkey day parade started back in 1924 and it is tied with Detroit for second place behind Philadelphia as the longest running Thanksgiving Day parade in the United States. There are some other interesting facts about it.
* The parade started using giant inflatable animal balloons in 1928. Prior to that, real animals from New York’s Central Park Zoo were part of the parade.
* Because of World War II, there were no helium balloons used from 1942 to 1944 due to a helium shortage.
* From 1962 to 1971, NBC’s coverage of the parade was hosted by Betty White and Bonanza star Lorne Greene.
* High winds have, on occasion, resulted in the intentional popping of balloons due to safety concerns. The most well-known incident occurred in 1997 when a balloon collided with a light post, which then collapsed and injured several spectators.
* In 2003, the role of Mrs. Claus on the Santa float was actually played by actor Harvey Fierstein.
More history about the parade can be had here. It will step off at 9AM and can be seen on multiple TV channels.
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