Special Report
The 33 Balloons in This Year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
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The 93rd edition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City will step off at 9 a.m. on Nov. 28, Thanksgiving morning. It is a New York institution watched by millions in person and millions more on television. The parade marks the traditional start to the holiday season and features floats, marching bands, appearances by musical performers, astronauts, beauty pageant winners, and the arrival of Santa Claus.
What sets the event apart are the massive balloons that float down the parade route, which originates at 77th Street, marches south, and ends in front of the venerable Macy’s store at Herald Square on 34th Street. The parade precedes another New York holiday tradition, the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. That tree is one of the largest on public display in the country. These are the tallest Christmas tree in each state.
This year’s parade features new versions of beloved characters. Snoopy will be depicted as an astronaut to honor the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham is represented, as is cable cartoon icon SpongeBob SquarePants and his pet snail Gary. The parade is also celebrating Smokey Bear’s 75th birthday. Some of the balloon characters returning to the parade include Sinclair Oil Corporation’s mascot Dino the dinosaur; Pokémon game mascot Pikachu; and the character Olaf from Disney’s animated film “Frozen.” Here are the best Disney movies of all time.
Click here to see the 33 balloons in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
1. Astronaut Snoopy by Peanuts Worldwide
> Balloon dimensions: 43-feet long, 29-feet wide, 49-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
This year’s parade appearance will be Snoopy’s 40th, the most of any balloon. His first balloon was as an aviator in 1968, and he was recast a year later as an Apollo astronaut, honoring the moon landing.
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2. Green Eggs And Ham by Netflix
> Balloon dimensions: 51-feet long, 27-feet wide, 46-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
Sam and Guy’s ham mobile is an homage to the beloved Dr. Seuss book “Green Eggs and Ham.”
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3. Love Flies Up To The Sky by Yayoi Kusama
> Balloon dimensions: 30-feet long, 36-feet wide, 34-feet tall
> Handlers: 40
The Love Flies Up to the Sky balloon was developed by artist Yayoi Kusama from face motifs that appear in her My Eternal Soul series of paintings.
4. Smokey Bear by United States Department Of Agriculture Forest Service
> Balloon dimensions: 16-feet long, 25-feet wide, 51-feet tall
> Handlers: 40
Smokey Bear returns to the parade for the first time since 1993. He made his parade debut in 1966.
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5. Spongebob Squarepants & Gary by Nickelodeon
> Balloon dimensions: 46-feet long, 36-feet wide, 44-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
SpongeBob Squarepants, the enduring cartoon star, makes his 15th appearance in the parade, and will be accompanied by his pet snail Gary.
6. Blue & White Macy’s Stars
> Balloon dimensions: 25 feet tall, 12 feet long, 24 feet wide
> Handlers: 12
The Macy’s blue and white star balloons represent the parade’s color scheme.
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7. Blue Starflakes by Macy’s
> Balloon dimensions: 25 feet tall, 25 feet wide
> Handlers: N/A
The blue starflakes are as tall as a two-story building and as wide as five taxi cabs.
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8. Candy Cane by Macy’s
> Balloon dimensions: 40 feet tall, 20 feet long, 8 feet wide
> Handlers: 20
The balloons depicting candy canes are 40 feet tall and 20 feet long, the length of three bicycles.
9. Paw Patrol by Spin Master And Nickelodeon
> Balloon dimensions: 60-feet long, 36-feet wide, 43-feet tall
> Handlers: N/A
Chase, the crime-fighting German Shepherd on the Nick Jr. television series, is bigger than a police squad car.
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10. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid by Abrams Children’S Books
> Balloon dimensions: 62-feet long, 32-feet wide, 62-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
Greg Heffley, star of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series, will fly for the 10th time at the parade.
11. Goku by Toei Animation Inc.
> Balloon dimensions: 70-feet long, 36-feet wide, 56-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
The Goku balloon depicting the warrior in the Japanese anime series “Dragon Ball” makes its second parade appearance.
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12. Gold Macy’s Starflakes
> Balloon dimensions: 25 feet tall, 12 feet long, 24 feet wide
> Handlers: 12
The Macy’s gold stars are as tall as a two-story building.
13. Harold The Fireman by Macy’s
> Balloon dimensions: 32 feet tall, 26 feet wide
> Handlers: N/A
Harold the Fireman has appeared at previous Macy’s parades as a baseball player and as a policeman.
14. Ice Cream Cone by Macy’s
> Balloon dimensions: 30 feet tall, 17 feet wide
> Handlers: 36
Various ice cream cone balloons have flown in the Macy’s parade. A strawberry/pistachio ice cream cone, which last flew seven years ago, will return for this year’s parade.
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15. Illumination Presents Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch
> Balloon dimensions: 49-feet long, 24-feet wide, 37-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
The sack of the crusty Dr. Seuss character is big enough to carry 2.8 million Christmas ornaments.
16. Jett From Super Wings by Alpha Group
> Balloon dimensions: 47-feet long, 39-feet wide, 31-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
The massive Jett, from the preschool series “Super Wings,” debuted in 2017. The balloon lives up to its name with a wingspan equal to the size of an actual Learjet.
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17. Olaf by Walt Disney Animation Studios
> Balloon dimensions: 58-feet long, 32-feet wide, 60-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
The 60-foot Olaf balloon, based on the character from the Disney Frozen films, returns to the parade for the third time.
18. Opening Macy’s Stars
> Balloon dimensions: 25 feet tall, 12 feet long, 24 feet wide
> Handlers: N/A
The Macy’s stars are 24 feet wide, or the width of five taxi cabs.
19. Pikachu by The Pokémon Company International
> Balloon dimensions: 36-feet long, 29-feet wide, 53-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
Pokemon’s lovable 36-foot tall Pikachu character returns to the parade for the 19th straight year.
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20. Pillsbury Doughboy by Pillsbury
> Balloon dimensions: 54-feet long, 34-feet wide, 46-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
It would take more than 4 million Pillsbury crescent rolls to create a “dough-sized” version of the 46-foot balloon.
21. Power Rangers Mighty Morphin Red Ranger by Hasbro
> Balloon dimensions: 77-feet long, 26-feet wide, 56-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
The 56-foot tall Power Rangers Mighty Morphin Red Ranger is the longest balloon in the parade at 77 feet.
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22. Pumpkins by Macy’s
> Balloon dimensions: 14 feet tall, 14 feet long, 14 feet wide
> Handlers: 12
The first pumpkin balloon appeared at the 1945 parade as a jack-o-lantern. The pumpkins at the 2019 parade will be 14 feet high.
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23. Red ‘Believe’ Stars
> Balloon dimensions: 25 feet tall, 12 feet long, 24 feet wide
> Handlers: 12
The Macy’s red stars are 25 feet tall, the height of a two-story building.
24. Ronald Mcdonald by Mcdonald’s
> Balloon dimensions: 61-feet long, 29-feet wide, 67-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
The 67-foot tall Ronald McDonald depicts the most famous clown in the world. The balloon’s shoes are 6 feet long.
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25. Dino by Sinclair Oil
> Balloon dimensions: 72-feet long, 24-feet wide, 36-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
Dino, the mascot of the Sinclair Oil Corp., first appeared in the parade in 1963.
26. The Elf On The Shelf by Macy’s
> Balloon dimensions: 46-feet tall, 28-feet wide, 64-feet long
> Handlers: 90
The Elf on the Shelf balloon is 46 feet tall.
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27. The Nutcracker by Universal Orlando Resort
> Balloon dimensions: 45-feet tall, 18.5-feet wide, 16-feet long
> Handlers: N/A
The Nutcracker balloon, representing the timeless Christmas decoration, is 24 times the size of the traditional Nutcracker.
28. Trolls by Dreamworks
> Balloon dimensions: 57-feet long, 38-feet wide, 38-feet tall
> Handlers: 90
The Trolls trio of Poppy, Branch and Guy Diamond, will float down the venerable parade route.
29. Wiggle Worm by Macy’s
> Balloon dimensions: 19 feet tall, 70 feet long, 19 feet wide
> Handlers: 39
It would take 1,000 real worms to equal the length of the Wiggle Worm balloon, which last appeared at the parade in 2016.
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30. Yellow Macy’s Star
> Balloon dimensions: 25-feet tall, 12 feet long, 24 feet wide
> Handlers: 12
The Macy’s yellow stars are 24 feet long.
31. Baby Dinos by Sinclair Oil
> Balloon dimensions: n/a
> Handlers: N/A
The baby Dinos, from the Sinclair Oil Corporation, will float down the parade route emerging their shells.
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32. Go Bowling by Macy’s
> Balloon dimensions: 16-foot tall pins, 12-foot-diameter bowling ball
> Handlers: N/A
The Go Bowling bowling ball is 12 feet in diameter, and the pins are 16 feet high.
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33. The Aflac Duck by Aflac
> Balloon dimensions: 30-feet tall, 15-feet wide
> Handlers: N/A
The Aflac duck, a mainstay on the insurance company’s commercials, will make its ninth appearance at the parade.
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