The Day That Barney Died: How the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Balloon Disaster Changed the Rules Forever
What To Know
- The 1997 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade became infamous when high winds caused the massive Barney balloon to crash into a lamppost and be violently deflated on live television, traumatizing viewers and injuring bystanders.
- This disaster prompted New York City to enact strict new safety regulations.
On November 27, 1997, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade became infamous for those who witnessed the chaos firsthand, thanks to a perfect storm of comically oversized balloons, brutal winds, and handlers with tragically underequipped upper-body strength, culminating in a moment now remembered as “millennial trauma.”
The parade that year featured many characters, not just Barney, including Kermit and the Cat in the Hat. It also featured 43 miles per hour winds, according to the New York Times, It made it almost impossible for the balloon handlers to get a good grasp on their characters, but more so for the folks handling the balloon of Barney the Purple Dinosaur, who was 58 feet tall, 44 feet long, and 30 feet wide.
Keep in mind, the winds created calamity during the entirety of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Cat in the Hat balloon also struck a lamppost, causing it to fall and injure a bystander, while the Pink Panther balloon veered out of control due to high winds and was deliberately deflated. Both were terrible incidents, but nothing as bad as poor Barney, whose murder and mutilation was televised for the world to see.
During the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a strong gust of wind caused the large Barney balloon to hit a lamppost, causing it to spring a leak and crash onto the handlers below. To speed up his death, handlers and nearby police officers began stabbing and stomping on poor Barney to allow the parade to continue. Hurt and in need of medical aid, Barney was deflated on national television as wranglers tried to wrestle the balloon to the ground, curb stomping and stabbing the purple dino to speed up its death as children looked on in abject horror, while the crowd screamed at the macabre scene before them.
@peachmention Macy’s Thanksgiving day Parade (1997) The Great Barney Tragedy #macysthanksgivingdayparade #1997 #tragedy #barney #barneythedinosaur #onthisdayinhistory #childhoodmemories #90skids #thanksgiving #80sbaby #retro #fyp #fypシ #nostalgia #history ♬ Slow, sad, emotional background.(1288973) – Art Music Style
As a result of the horrific incident, which resulted in multiple injuries and long-lasting trauma in its young audience, new rules were put in place that forever altered the parades in New York. New York City law now prohibits the release of full-size balloons if winds exceed 20 knots (23 mph) or if wind gusts exceed 30 knots (35 mph).
Furthermore, balloons are limited to maximum dimensions of 70 feet high, 78 feet long, and 40 feet wide. This ban effectively retired some of the larger balloons at the time, including the Cat in the Hat and Pink Panther balloons involved in the 1997 mishaps.
5 year olds watching their idol get killed pic.twitter.com/FlmVZ2sVgX
— Plush Tree Father (@PlushTreeFather) November 25, 2022
Balloons must also be tethered to two 800-pound vehicles, rather than being managed only by handlers. Also, Macy’s introduced physical fitness tests, and training for its volunteer balloon handlers.
Since 1997, there have been fewer incidents with comically large balloons, including one accident involving an M&M balloon in 2005 that has led to further safety enhancements, including updated handler training protocols and additional wind-measuring devices along the route. But nothing along the lines of shock and trauma caused the day that millions of small children watched their best friend get stomped and stabbed to death by grown-ups. At least not yet.
TV Insider