It is officially one of the best times of the year, with the holidays right around the corner and so many events to enjoy. One of the best activities to do with family and friends on Thanksgiving is watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Getting to check out all of the amazing balloons, floats, bands, and more that are featured every year, bringing so much fun and enthusiasm to a day we get to celebrate being grateful! This year, the parade is bringing some new balloons down the streets of NYC while also bringing back some iconic ones we can’t wait to see come around for another incredible year! Here are the balloons everyone should be looking forward to seeing this Thanksgiving!
The first balloon to look forward to is the iconic Diary of a Wimpy Kid balloon, sponsored by Abrams Books. This beloved character represents the cartoon books many of us grew up reading and has been a part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for 16 years! Over time, the design has seen several updates, with the current version introduced during the 2022 rebrand. Standing 39 feet tall, 45 feet long, and 23 feet wide, it’s an impressive balloon to look at! A fun fact according to Macy’s, is that the balloon’s backpack could hold 2,000 real backpacks inside it! This massive float is sure to be a crowd favorite once again as it makes its way through New York City in just a few days.
The next, and one of the most iconic, balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the Pillsbury Doughboy! He’s been a featured balloon since 2009 and has appeared in the parade every year since. This balloon is the only remaining advertising balloon in the lineup today, proudly representing the Pillsbury brand during the holiday season. The perfect time for baking all kinds of delicious treats! Standing 55 feet tall, 23 feet long, and 33 feet wide, he might look like a little guy in the TV commercials, but at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, he’s one giant Doughboy! A fun fact according to Macy’s, is the balloon could hold over 250,000 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls inside it, which is absolutely insane (and sounds pretty delicious!). It’s safe to say everyone will be thrilled to see the Doughboy floating down the streets of New York City once again for another amazing parade!
The last balloon to look forward to is the brand-new Shrek’s Onion Carriage balloon, debuting at the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year! Sponsored by Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation, this will mark the first time Shrek’s entire family appears together in the parade. A Shrek balloon originally debuted in 2007, but this new design features all his friends and family including, Fiona, their triplets Felicia, Fergus, and Farkle, along with Donkey, Gingy, and Pinocchio, making their grand entrance on the streets of New York City! The Onion Carriage balloon measures 32 feet tall, 40 feet long, and 33 feet wide, making it an impressive new addition to this year’s lineup. A fun fact according to Macy’s, is Shrek’s Onion Carriage features eight characters, the most ever included on a single parade balloon! This debut is sure to make a fantastic first impression, setting records for the parade and giving fans everywhere something to smile about as we gather to watch with loved ones this Thanksgiving!
Even though these are some impressive balloons to look forward to during the parade, there’s so much more happening at this year’s event! There will be 34 giant balloons, including four balloonicles, plus 27 stunning floats making their way through the streets of New York City. You’ll also see 11 incredible high school and college marching bands, 33 clown crews, and nine performance groups, all coming together to make this year’s parade one of the most exciting yet! And of course, we can’t forget the grand finale, featuring Santa Claus himself, bringing the Christmas spirit as we look forward to the holiday season.
There’s truly so much to look forward to in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. You can find all the details and updates on the official Macy’s Parade website, and get yourself even more excited for one of the most popular Thanksgiving traditions happening in just a few days!