Five Iconic Costumes We’ve Worn for the Thanksgiving Day Parade

Since 1957 we’ve brought the glitz, and glamour you see on the Great Stage to 34th Street in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. That’s 62 years of costumes, so iconic, they stand the test of time. This year we’ll be dressed as reindeer, performing a section from our opening number “Sleigh Ride” in the Christmas Spectacular. To celebrate, we’re looking back at some of our most iconic costumes worn on Thanksgiving Day.

Christmas Lights, designed by Emilio Sosa, 2018. The Tony and Drama Desk Award-nominated designer is no stranger to generating stunning looks for the stage. So naturally, when we asked him to create a look for our finale number, he delivered! Sosa’s goal was to make our costumes glow and shine like Christmas lights—keeping in mind how the colors would appear from every seat in Radio City Music Hall.

The Radio City Rockettes perform on 34th Street in the 2018 Thanksgiving Day Parade (Photo by Eric Liebowitz/NBC)
The Rockettes pose inside Macy’s just before their 2018 performance. (Photo by Carl Scheffel/MSG Photos)

Rockette Red Santa, designed by Pete Menefee, 1982. Rockette Red Santa was first introduced in the early eighties. Designed to capture the holiday spirit, this is one of our most iconic looks to date. Fun Fact: In 2015 Madame Tussauds New York unveiled a Rockette Wax Figure wearing this exact costume.

The 2009 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Photo by Ben Hider/Getty Images)

Snowflake, designed by Gregg Barnes, 2005. While the number synonymous with this costume is retired from the show, this classic look is still worn by Rockettes greeting visitors on the Stage Door Tour.

The 2008 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Photo by Curtis Means/NBCU/Getty Images)

City Rhythm, designed by Deborah Newhall, 1999. Newhall has created costumes for feature films, TV, Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theater, opera, and of course, us! While City Rhythm was first introduced in 1999, it didn’t make its 34th Street debut until 2002.

The 2002 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Photo by Matthew Peyton/Getty Images)

Christmas Harolders, designed by Gregg Barnes, 1994. Gregg Barns has designed nearly a dozen Rockettes‘ costumes over the years and Christmas Harolders is one of our most beloved. We famously wore this costume during the 1998 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The 1998 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo Courtesy NBCU/Getty Images