5 Darkly Hilarious Accidents That Have Happened During the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

5 Felix the Cat Caught on Fire

If you’re not familiar with Felix the Cat, just know he was an icon of animation before being relegated to his current status of “oh, that kind of looks like Mickey Mouse.” He was big enough back in the day to make the bill the very first year that the parade incorporated giant inflatable cartoon characters, but it ended under less than ideal conditions. Have you ever wondered, “What would happen if these balloons flew into power or telephone lines?” 

The people running the 1927 parade apparently didn't, but they learned fast: They catch fire.

4 Another Cat Balloon Takes Out A Plane

You might be confused how exactly this occurred, given that the parade takes place on the New York City streets — a place that famously forbids planes, not to mention has a tenuous relationship, at best, with them. 

Well, prepare yourself again to hear about more old-fashioned lack of foresight and/or concern for bodily harm. Up until 1932, when the balloons had finished their prescribed, airborne march, they were just released freely into the air, like a pet pigeon from Mike Tyson’s weathered hands. As for getting all that valuable rubber back, they also issued rewards for the return of the deflated floats, which made them a pretty profitable find. One student pilot, with what must have been a very free-spirited instructor, saw the Tom Cat balloon floating and decided, while still in her plane, to try to nab it and get ahead of the pursuers on the ground. But the balloon wrapped around the wing and crashed the plane. 

In a stroke of questionable divine forgiveness, neither her nor her instructor were seriously hurt.

3 Sonic Sends A Cop to the Hospital

SEGA tried to bill itself as a tougher, more attitude-filled alternative to Nintendo during the console wars of yore. Even so, I don't think “knocking a cop unconscious” is something they would have given Sonic the Hedgehog the thumbs up on. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what an inflatable version of the chili-dog loving blue blur did during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1993. The inflatable Sonic smacked into a lamppost, and instead of rotating to indicate how far through the level he’d progressed, it instead destroyed the balloon, which fell on an off-duty police officer and broke his shoulder. 

Sonic better not ever come by the Big Apple, because you know the NYPD has a bounty out on him for this.

2 The Cat in the Hat Puts A Lady in A Coma

Now, this one I do feel a little bit bad about, given the severity of the injuries involved. In 1997, the balloons were once again on parade, and the threat of lampposts was alive and well. That year, it was Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat that made unfortunate contact with the city’s street lighting system, but unlike Sonic, it came out on top. The Cat in the Hat remained intact, while the lamppost was damaged, sending a piece of debris into the crowd. Tragically, it struck a woman in the head and put her in a coma for a week. 

She sued Macy’s over the incident, and I assume her letter informing Macy’s they were being sued was responded to with a piece of paper that said “fair enough” and a blank check.

1 Barney Gets Shivved Into Submission

1997 was a terrible year to be a massive balloon. The very same day that the Cat in the Hat sent someone to the hospital, Barney was experiencing difficulties of his own. The high winds had made the purple dinosaur unruly, and fearing any further helium-on-human violence, the decision was made to take him out. He was brought to the ground, where he was beset upon by police with sharp popping tools. 

The risk of human injury was weighed, honorably, higher than the PR hit taken by a video of Barney being airholed so brutally that it would make Brutus wince.