• Though usually a happy occasion, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has seen its share of heartbreak and disaster. One notable event was the tragic death of Barney, the beloved purple dinosaur, in 1997.
• It was the 71st annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The winds were high that day, and the surrounding buildings funneled the gusts into Times Square, with wind speeds topping out at 43 mph (67 kph). When they arrived at 51st Street, Barney’s handlers hit an area of gusty winds so strong they had trouble hanging onto the ropes without being lifted off the ground. Some of the handlers lay on the ground in an effort to gain control. As they fought to steady the balloon, the 58-foot-tall (17m) Barney began swinging wildly back and forth, lurching forward and careening backwards, until a collision with a streetlight punctured his side. The helium gushed out of the gash, which quickly grew larger. Balloon Barney sagged to the ground, rolling on the pavement in his death throes, in full view of crying children, horrified adults, and astonished news crews.
• Yet, only Barney’s mid-section was injured; his extremities retained their full complement of helium and continued to thrash in the gusty wind. Barney’s faithful handlers hastened his end by jumping on the collapsing balloon as it exhausted its entire supply of helium, while city cops, in their mercy, stabbed the balloon to death by opening gashes in his stubby little arms, his cloddy feet, and his ever-smiling face. Barney’s tail exploded under pressure. Unverified reports stated that two handlers were nearly suffocated underneath the mound of collapsing fabric, while a third handler was knocked unconscious. Once Barney was completely deflated, crews hastily rolled up the empty skin, making way for the rest of the parade to proceed. After all, the show must go on!
• Barney’s handlers rushed to assist with other balloons in distress. The Pink Panther succumbed to injuries incurred by a similar collision with a streetlight at 42nd Street, and both the Nestles Quik Bunny and the Cat in the Hat limped away after suffering similar injuries at 36th Street. The Cat in the Hat collided with a lamppost at the corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West, snapping the metal post in half, which seriously injured several spectators when it fell.
• Fortunately, Barney was resurrected in time for the 1998 parade, and was even eventually joined by his little sister, Baby Bop. Barney continued his big purple parade career until being permanently retired after his final performance in 2005. Since then, Barney has appeared in smaller form, as an inflatable costume worn by a single human riding on a float.
• In 2013, a bystander who had filmed the entire incident posted the clip on YouTube, and it became a viral video in short order.
• Following the “Great Balloon Massacre” of 1997, new safety measures were put in place in order to prevent balloon incidents in the future. Now balloons must be attached to a tractor or a truck both fore and aft. No balloons taller than 70 feet (21m) high, 78 feet (24m) long, or 40 feet (12m) wide are allowed. Many of the balloons that couldn’t meet these restrictions were retired. The largest balloons, including Bugs Bunny, The Pink Panther, Betty Boop, Woody Woodpecker, and Bart Simpson, were barred from appearing.
• In spite of these new regulations, another wind-driven incident, this time involving the M&M balloon in 2005, prompted prohibitions against all balloons if sustained wind speeds on parade day top 23 mph (37 kph) or gusts are greater than 34 mph (55 kph). There have been no balloon tragedies since.
