Photographer Captures Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New Book

For E.A. Kahane, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City has been a significant part of her life since childhood. For years, Kahane and her friends joined the crowds on West 72nd Street and Central Park West to witness the famed parade’s balloons being inflated the night before the event. «It was an evening that we wouldn’t miss, and the next morning, I watched every moment of the parade on TV,» Kahane recalls.

In 1997, Kahane relocated to a third-floor apartment along Central Park West and 64th Street, directly on the parade’s path, offering her an uninterrupted view of the iconic event. «I got so excited seeing the characters, the marching bands, and the crowds and instantly grabbed my camera,» Kahane remarked. Over time, this parade evolved into an obsession for the real estate broker and avid photographer.

Fast-forward to 2024, the centennial year of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and E.A. Kahane has compiled her long-time photographic endeavor into a coffee-table book, «Come Join the Parade.» The collection features more than 160 carefully chosen photographs out of the thousands she has taken over the years. «I tell the story of this epic event through my pictures,» Kahane emphasized.

Among Kahane’s treasured memories was the parade’s return in 2021 after a cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kahane described it as a poignant «sign that we’re back.» Her book not only presents retrospective images but also details intriguing historical facts about the parade and its creation. One such fact is the origin of the red star in Macy’s logo, linked to its founder Rowland Hussey Macy’s time on a whaling ship.

Since moving to 64th Street, Kahane has never missed watching the parade from her advantageous spot. In her dedication, she once flew back briefly from Amsterdam, solely to photograph the event, before quickly returning to Europe, illustrating her commitment to capturing the magic of the parade. «The parade is a free and spirited event for everyone,» she expressed. «That’s exactly the experience I want to share through my book.»