It’s Thanksgiving, y’all. As we spend today with friends, family, and/or complete strangers, it’s a time to reflect on that which we’re grateful for. Of course, the thanks is enhanced with servings, and second servings of delicious food, a TV perpetually tuned to football, and maybe a few spicy arguments with family members.
Furthermore, cities across the U.S. honor the special holiday with celebrations – most commonly, a Thanksgiving Day parade. Of course, there’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, the most notable bar none. But cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Detroit all host their own unique Thanksgiving parade with floats, live performances, and festivities for the whole family. Why not Dallas? That’s what we’re diving into with this article. Continue below to see why.
Parade Sponsorship
Many of the parades across the country are affiliated with a sponsor – in New York, there’s Macy’s, in Houston, there’s H-E-B, while in Dallas there hasn’t been a major sponsor backing what could be a substantial Thanksgiving parade at scale in Dallas.
Dallas Holiday Parade and Standing Traditions
To be clear, there’s no one reason why Dallas doesn’t have a Thanksgiving parade. And that’s not to say that Dallas doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving – in early December, the city hosts the annual Dallas Holiday Parade, which rolls in festivities from the winter holidays in one in an epic celebration.
Additionally, the city hosts the annual Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot, which allows for Dallasites to get in on the festivity while also burning off some calories ahead of their dinners.
Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Game
Of course, one of the other major reasons that Dallas doesn’t have a parade has got to do with a conflicting, longstanding city tradition: the Dallas Cowboys. Every year since 1966, with the exception of two, the Dallas Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving Day.
How was it that the Dallas Cowboys became the go-to Thanksgiving Game?
Thanksgiving football games weren’t revolutionary at the time; in 1934, the NFL began an annual program of Thanksgiving football games, with the Detroit Lions.
In the mid ‘60s, the Dallas Cowboys were a relatively new team – not yet the commercial powerhouse nor “America’s Team”. Traditionally, the Detroit Lions had been the only NFL team to regularly play games on Thanksgiving Day. At the time, the NFL, as well as TV networks, were looking for a second Thanksgiving host in order to broadcast more nationally televised content on the holiday.
Then Cowboys general manager, Tex Schramm, saw a special opportunity for the Cowboys to secure a national TV spotlight, marquee holiday slot, and chance for the Cowboys to build their brand. Provided with a gate-revenue guarantee from the NFL, Schramm volunteered the Cowboys to take the slot.
On November 24, 1966, the Dallas Cowboys hosted their first-ever Thanksgiving Day game against the Cleveland Browns at the Cotton Bowl. Defeating the Browns in front of 80,000 attendants. The NFL would later experiment with changing the Thanksgiving host in 1975 and 1977, ultimately seeing weaker ratings. In 1978, the Dallas Cowboys became the permanent host of Thanksgiving Day games.
All is to say, that the Dallas Cowboys’ longstanding Thanksgiving Day NFL games are continuously a huge draw and cultural moment for the city. In conjunction with Dallas’ Turkey Trot and later all-encompassing Dallas Holiday Parade in early December, coupled with a lack of corporate impetus, the city’s other celebrations have emerged as the city’s predominate traditions, eclipsing the necessity for a parade.