Macy's Parade Balloons: A History of Hilarious Mishaps

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade boasts a long history filled with memorable balloon incidents, from early mishaps to more recent disasters. Felix the Cat, the parade's first balloon in 1927, met an unfortunate end shortly after his debut. Decades later, in 1986, a tree on Central Park West proved to be Superman's kryptonite, causing his arm to rip and his hand to detach.

The parade experienced a particularly chaotic event in 1997, dubbed the 'Great Balloon Massacre.' Extremely high winds that year caused the Cat in the Hat balloon to strike a lamppost, injuring four people. This incident, along with others involving Barney and Pink Panther, led to stricter regulations on balloon flight conditions and size.

Other notable incidents include Popeye's hat filling with water in 1957, Kermit the Frog ripping in 1985 and drooping in 1991, and Sonic the Hedgehog deflating rapidly after hitting a street lamp in 1993, injuring a man and a child. These events highlight the challenges of managing large inflatables in varying weather conditions during the iconic parade.