THE 83RD ANNUAL MACY’S THANKSGIVING PARADE^® A GRAND SPECTACLE

• More than 3.5 million spectators line the streets of New York City each year and more than 50 million viewers tune in nationwide to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade^®.
  
  
• The Parade boasts approximately 8,000 participants including balloon handlers, float escorts, clowns, marching bands, cheerleaders, dance groups and other performers.
  
  
• This fall, the United States Postal Service issued the "Thanksgiving Day Parade" stamp. These series of four stamps features the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
  
  
• Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924. It was first known as "Macy's Christmas Parade" although it took place on Thanksgiving.
  
  
• The Parade was suspended in 1942, 1943, 1944 due to WWII.
  
  
• Santa Claus has ended the Parade every year with the exception of 1933 - the only year when he led the Parade.
  
  
• Santa Claus will ride on a brand new float this year marking the first new Santa's Sleigh in more than 40 years.
  
  
• Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was first broadcast nationwide in 1948 by NBC.
  
  
• The NBC broadcast of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade won two Daytime Emmy^® Awards this year including Best Special Program and Best Direction.
  
  
• The 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route will, for the first time in its history, bypass Broadway on it's way to Macy's flagship store on 34^th Street.
  
  
• The 2009 Macy's Parade route is 2.65 miles long. This is an increase of .15 miles from the previous route. The 2009 Macy's Parade route will begin at the traditional 77^th Street and Central Park West kick off, it will travel down Central Park West to Columbus Circle, where it will veer towards 7^th Avenue and march down 7^th through Times Square. It will then turn onto 42^nd Street to 6^th Avenue marching down the Avenue of the Americas to 34^th Street where it will turn and end at 34^th Street and 7^th Avenue.
  
  
• This is the sixth route change in the 83 years of the Macy's Parade. However, this is the first time that the Parade will not travel through Broadway.
  
  BALLOONS
  
• New Giant Helium Character Balloons: Pillsbury Doughboy^®, Ronald McDonald^® , Sailor Mickey and Spider-Man^®
  
  
• New Novelty and Specialty Balloons: Basketball, Big Man Santa and the Geometric Balloons
  
  
• Total Giant Character Balloons: 15
  
  
• Total Novelty and Specialty Balloons: 35
  
  
• Total Balloons in Parade: 50
  
  
• Largest balloon by helium volume: Tie- "Supercute" Hello Kitty^® and SpongeBob SquarePants™ at 16,200 cubic feet
  
  
• Longest balloon: Tie- Kermit the Frog™ and Spider-Man
  
  FLOATS
  
• New Floats: Local Heroes Helping Everyday, There's A Party in My City and Santa's Sleigh
  
  
• Tallest Float: Marion-Carol Showboat at over three stories tall
  
  
• Longest Float: Santa's Sleigh which is actually made up of two floats and is 60-feet long
  
  
• Total Floats in Parade: 24
  
  MARCHING BANDS
  
• 10 Marching High School and University Bands
  • Adair County High School Columbia, Kentucky
  • Frank W. Ballou Senior High School Washington, DC
  • Choctawhatchee High School Fort Walton Beach, FL
  • Franklin Regional High School Murrysville, PA
  • Harrison High School Kennesaw, GA
  • Macy's Great American Marching Band United States
  • Morgantown High School Morgantown, WV
  • Pickerington Central High School Pickerington, OH
  • Pittsburg High School Pittsburg, CA
  • Towson University Towson, MD
  
  
  CLOWNS
  
• Total Clown Groups: 25
  
  
• Total number of clowns: 800