1997 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The 71st Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held on November 27, 1997, under high winds, which led to multiple mishaps involving the parade's signature balloons. A Cat in the Hat balloon collided with a lamppost, knocking off its arm and sending a spectator into a month-long coma. There were at least four injuries overall, including another serious head wound from the same incident. The Cat in the Hat was one of several balloons that lost limbs or were otherwise damaged, including the Barney the Dinosaur and Pink Panther balloons, which were forcibly deflated by officers of the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

The incidents led to scrutiny by Mayor Rudy Giuliani and changes in the parade, including a ban on larger balloons such as the Cat in the Hat. The most seriously injured attendee settled a lawsuit out of court. The image of the Barney balloon's destruction by police knives and boots—its so-called "murder"—has found enduring popularity through social media, owing partly to popular hatred of Barney.

Background

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has taken place annually since 1924, except 1942 through 1944.[1] In 1927, the first balloons, designed by Tony Sarg, debuted to great excitement. Giant balloons of popular characters would become the hallmark of the parade.[1]

Parade day

The 1997 running of the parade featured 17 giant balloons, 18 novelty balloons, and seven "falloons" (float–balloons) guided by a combined 1,200 handlers; it also featured 21 floats, 6 toy floats, 44 teams of clowns, 14 marching bands, and 30 costumed characters. There were four new balloons: the television and book character Arthur; a first-of-its-kind three-character balloon featuring the Rugrats characters Tommy Pickles, Chuckie, and Spike;[2] Bumpé, a Swedish cow;[2] and an original creation, Ms. Petula Pig, a ballerina.[3] The new falloons were the World of Wiggle, sponsored by Jello, and Dr. Seuss's Grinch.[4][5] Two non-falloon floats, one related to the film Anastasia and the other about a calf named Annabelle who wants to fly

Aftermath

New York mayor Rudy Giuliani announced a task force to investigate the incidents.[8] Macy's introduced physical fitness tests for its volunteer balloon handlers, and provided them with classroom instruction on geometry, outdoor training, and a free three-month gym membership. For the 1998 parade, lampposts had their arms removed, trees were pruned, and a meteorologist's counsel was retained. Balloons were limited to dimensions of 70 feet high, 78 feet long and 40 feet wide, ending the presence of the Cat in the Hat, Pink Panther, and Woody Woodpecker balloons. Balloons were tethered to two 800-pound vehicles, rather than being led only by pedestrians, and a police officer was assigned to each balloon's team, with the authority to remove it from the parade if needed.

The woman who was left comatose for a month filed a $395 million lawsuit against Macy's, New York City, and the lamppost's manufacturer. According to the suit, she suffered permanent brain damage as a result of the injury.[11] She settled the suit in 2001 for an undisclosed sum, shortly before jury selection was to take place; the city was not responsible for any part of the settlement.[10]

The woman began traveling out of New York City each Thanksgiving.