A black-and-white cartoon cat, a puppet master and a parade that has outlived almost everything else on the Thanksgiving calendar. Some traditions are so familiar that we forget they had a beginning. The turkey, the football, the parade on TV while someone argues about the stuffing. For millions of Americans, Thanksgiving morning simply is the Macy’s parade.
It began in 1924. It paused only once, from 1942 to 1944, during World War II. And on Nov. 26, 2026, it marks its 100th edition, airing on NBC from 8:30 a.m. with a record 100 inflatables. Among them is a very old friend: Felix the Cat, the parade’s first balloon in 1927, back for the first time since 2016.
In 1927, a Cat Took Flight
Felix was a superstar of the silent cartoon era, and in 1927 he became the first character balloon to float down the parade route. A giant inflatable cat drifting above the crowd was something new, and it changed what the parade could be.
Bringing him back for the centennial is the parade’s way of closing the loop. A century later, the first balloon will float alongside the newest ones, among them returning favorites such as Bullwinkle, Olive Oyl, Popeye, Swee’Pea and Sonic the Hedgehog.
The Puppet Master Behind It All
This year’s parade also honors Tony Sarg, nicknamed “America’s Puppet Master.” In the 1920s, he helped create the puppets and floats that shaped the early parades and the idea of giant characters moving above the crowd. A float in his honor will feature a centennial march and recreations of his original creations.
It is a lovely detail. Behind the brand names and the TV broadcast, part of the parade’s magic started with an artist who simply wanted to make things bigger, sillier and more wonderful.
Why It Still Matters After 100 Parades
Macy’s chief marketing officer Sharon Otterman said the parade has “brought generations together through moments of wonder, connection and joy.” Corporate phrasing, perhaps, but anyone who has watched with a grandparent, then later with a grandchild, knows the feeling is real. Few events have been watched by so many families, in so many living rooms, for so long. It is the same pull that makes milestone anniversaries, like Charlie’s Angels at 50, feel so personal.
How to Make the 100th Parade Special at Home
Turn it into an event, not background noise. Set the table early so everyone can watch together. Ask the oldest person in the room what parade they remember first, and listen to the answer. Give the kids a challenge: spot Felix before anyone else. Then save the table centerpiece for after the parade, and keep it simple, the way Catherine Zeta-Jones does hers. The lesson worth borrowing is that a tradition lasts when each generation adds a memory to it.
The Bottom Line
In 1927, Felix the Cat became the Macy’s parade’s first balloon. On Nov. 26, he returns for the 100th parade, nearly a century after his first flight and more than a century after the parade began.
