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
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
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 .