Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Flashback: Revisiting The 1954 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 22, 2012
Modified Nov 22, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 22, 2012
Modified Nov 22, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last year we revisited some old footage from the 1939 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and some old photos from their 1940's parade... now check out some 8mm home movies from 1954. The below video shows life in New York City on November 25th, 1954, through one family's trip to the parade, as well as Rockefeller Center to see the tree and ice skaters. The uploader notes: "This is vintage footage of my father, mother, brother and grandmother (filmed by mostly by my dad) in New York on Thanksgiving Day... The clip shows several floats as they pass near Times Square, including Felix the Cat, a Macy's toy soldier, a pink elephant, roller skaters and Santa Claus."
Tagged
1954
flashback
history
macy's thanksgiving day parade
parade
thanksgiving
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .