What City Has the Oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade?

Families across the United States begin to celebrate Thanks in completely separate ways with a wide variety of different traditions, but I think we can agree that we are all participating in one similar trend: watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on television.

Of course, most of us gather around the TV to follow the parade while the turkey is cooking in the oven and we’re all about to pop a cork on the wine. Or, some of us are just too tired and hungry to wake up early enough to catch the parade after going out and drinking on Thanksgiving Eve. Whichever option is decided upon, there is no denying how popular and culturally significant it has become in recent years.

For those familiar with the festival, it’s no secret that New York’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the most popular of the bunch – although only one parade can claim to be the oldest.

The Oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade, explained

Despite the fact that the Macy’s Parade is the most recognized and usually heavily televised, the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade the oldest parade in the entire nation. Officially starting back in 1920, the parade has skyrocketed in popularity over the years and usually features the same elements as other parades – including celebrity performers, sky-high balloons, colorful floats, and school marching bands.

So, even with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade being the largest parade in the country, the fact remains that Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day parade preceded Macy’s by four years, although it’s hard to argue how influential both parades are in their own right. own.