Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade horror stories

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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Horror Stories
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Horror Stories


The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the U.S. It started in 1924 and was actually called "The Christmas Parade" - even though it took place on Thanksgiving Day. Americans across the country have been watching it on TV since 1952 ... and boy, have they seen some things.

The biggest attractions are the massive balloons, and while it may not seem thrilling to watch them float down a street, the parade has had its share of exciting (and sometimes scary) moments because of them.



In 1985, poor Kermit the Frog was gutted along Central Park West and almost crashed into spectators as it sailed down. Balloon handlers had to carry what was left of him the rest of the way. He also lost a fight with some trees in 1991 and spent much of the parade looking rather deflated. (Pun 100 percent intended.)

By the way, carrying these airheads is no walk in Central Park. Some of these characters can weigh more than 1,000 lbs!

There was also plenty of pandemonium in 1993. It was the Murphy's Law Parade because anything that could go wrong totally did. High winds pushed the Rex Dinosaur balloon right into a street light that popped his face. Then, an off-duty police officer was reportedly injured when Sonic the Hedgehog crashed into a lamppost. Sonic, the first video game character to ever get a spot in the parade, sadly didn't make it to the end.

A few years later in 1997, handlers lost control of Peter the Rabbit -- but it was the Cat in the Hat that caused the most chaos. The balloon crashed into a streetlamp and launched debris down into the crowd, injuring bystanders.

That wasn't the only balloon that onlookers feared. Everyone's favorite purple dinosaur died on Broadway. Barney's purple crew struggled to keep him steady in the strong winds, but they didn't win against Mother Nature.

Despite these disasters (and a few we didn't mention), more than 3 million people attend the event, while an estimated 50 million tune in to watch it on TV.

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