As Summer Comes To A Close, Macy’s Looks Toward Holiday Parades And Christmas Traditions

Not only has summer come and gone, but the traditional holiday season is fast approaching. Monday’s news included the surprising announcement that Macy’s, in cooperation with the City of New York, will hold its annual Thanksgiving Day parade, a 94-year tradition. It proves that old traditions die hard and are more important than ever in 2020.

Macy’s says the event will be “reimagined.” The television-only parade will take place in and around the Herald Square area, home of the retailer’s flagship store, and will be filmed over the course of two days. But the millions of spectators who typically line a 2-1/2 mile parade route will be missing. Furthermore, there won’t be the Thanksgiving Eve balloon inflation display near the American Museum of Natural History. 

Macy’s signature character balloons will make an appearance but they won’t be manned by the typical 80-100 workforce. An “innovative, specially rigged anchor vehicle framework of five specialty vehicles tested and approved by the NYC Department of Transportation and the NYC Police Department” will transport and support each balloon. 

The retailer and the city plan to release more parade details later in October. In past years, Macy’s has finalized its holiday designs at least six months before the holiday season. COVID-19 has changed that schedule.

Beyond New York, Macy’s has locations throughout the country. Many of these stores formerly operated under other nameplates such as Marshall Field, John Wanamaker, Jordan Marsh, and Rich’s. Each have their own decades-long customs and Macy’s has become their caretaker. 

“This year we are reimagining our iconic events to deliver the magic of the holidays, from the Thanksgiving Day Parade to local tree lightings, holiday windows, Santa and more,” says Andrea Schwartz, Macy’s Senior Director of Media Relations. “At this moment we are reimagining these local traditions and will have updates as soon as we have our plans in place.”

Macy’s Center City Philadelphia store is home to two beloved holiday events. This location, home of the former John Wanamaker flagship store, has presented its Christmas Light Show in the building’s Grand Court since 1956. More than 100,000 LED lights display nutcrackers, toys, and ballerinas on a four-story high screen. The 10-minute show is held every two hours and is accompanied by music performed on the famous Wanamaker organ. On the third floor, the Dickens Christmas Village is a walk-through animation display that was formerly housed at the Strawbridge & Clothier department store. 

But COVID-19 poses challenges for the Philadelphia Light Show and the Dickens Village. Both events are held indoors and are often crowded with shoppers and visitors. They will likely be altered or eliminated for this year’s holiday season.

The Marshall Field’s building is a treasured Chicago landmark and many Chicagoans remain bitter after its 2006 conversion to Macy’s. Every November, the 45-foot Great Tree graces the store’s iconic Walnut Room restaurant. A holiday meal beneath the mammoth tree continues to be a Chicago tradition. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has temporarily closed the Walnut Room and the status of the store’s famous Santaland is a big unknown.

Since 1899, Macy’s has housed elaborate animated exhibits in its Manhattan stores. Traditional window displays in Washington, Brooklyn, and other cities, along with Salt Lake City “candy windows” and the SPCA Adoption Windows in San Francisco appear to have the greatest and safest appeal for 2020. The same is likely true for Atlanta, Boston, and San Francisco’s signature Christmas trees.

Unfortunately, Atlanta’s famous Pink Pig train ride might be in jeopardy for 2020. It’s a small ride located under a weatherproof tent. It’s not designed for the COVID-19 world.

A schedule of 2020 holiday events was recently removed from the retailer’s website. The company insists that it needs to be updated and will be reposted later in October. When pressed for more details, Schwartz said, “At this time [Macy’s doesn’t] have themes or details to share as we are still working on reimagining these local traditions.”

But what does that mean for visits to Santa? Those details are still a big unknown. Even the 1918 pandemic didn’t stop children from hopping up on Santa’s lap. 

Downtown department stores reached their height of popularity and profitability during the early 1950s. Their holiday decorations, fashion shows, and international festivals were carefully planned to increase store traffic and build customer loyalty.

Over time, department store traditions, from parades to animated windows, became expensive to produce and maintain. Many were sacrificed to cut costs and customer backlash was swift. 

COVID-19 can provide an unusual opportunity for the country’s remaining department stores. After a difficult year, people are craving some sense of joy or normalcy. If Macy’s and other retailers can safely and effectively bring back the holidays, lost shoppers might return and reconnect to their stores. 

It’s time for department stores, whether in downtowns or shopping malls, to go into their stockrooms and pull out some extra wreaths and light strands. Simply putting up a little garland could go a long way in 2020.