Every year since 1994, the parade balloons are blown up during the “Macy's Balloon Inflation Celebration,” which is held on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day on the Upper

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924, when employees at Macy’s department store decided to celebrate the holidays with a grand spectacle. The inaugural parade featured floats, clowns, live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo, and, of course, Santa Claus bringing up the rear.

The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in November 1924. Take a look at photos showing how it's evolved over the last 100 years.