SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, December 15, 1958

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, December 15, 1958

Ideals Christmas Issue, 1960.

Parade host Willard Scott’s voice-over: “You know, some of the folks at this parade just have to be part of it every single year. This turkey that you’re seeing right now is one of those. He first gobbled his way down Broadway sixteen years ago. Of course, he gets his feathers preened and his makeup repaired every year. Looks gorgeous!” 🦃 Gifs of “Tom Turkey”, the official mascot of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, originally broadcast live by NBC on November 26th, 1987. Singer Rita Coolidge is seen perched on Tom’s back, from where she performed her 1977 hit song (Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher. The animatronic float made its first appearance at the annual parade in 1971, missing only one parade in 2003 when he “took a Thanksgiving off”. After undergoing a few alterations over the years, Tom was retired in 2017 and replaced by a “balloonicle” inflatable turkey instead. 

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