Seven new character balloons are set to take flight in the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 26, in New York City. They got their test flights last weekend at Macy’s Balloonfest in New Jersey
Five of the new balloons are giant. Two are mid-sized, according to News 12 New Jersey. (See all the balloons in the gallery at the bottom of this story.) The group includes Snoopy’s Joe Cool alter ego with Woodstock, Bluey, Underdog, Buckaroo Bob the Minion, a Big Apple version of Hello Kitty, Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey, and Billie Brightpaw. The public could not attend the event.
Joe Cool wears black sunglasses and a red sweater. His balloon will stand 41.6 feet tall, 57 feet long, and 24.3 feet wide. Bluey wears a gold crown inspired by Christmas crackers. That balloon is 47.2 feet tall, 47 feet long, and 27.8 feet wide.
Underdog returns to the parade for the first time since 1984. He flew every year from 1965 to 1984, and his balloon measures 25.8 feet tall, 41.5 feet long, and 20.7 feet wide. Buckaroo Bob the Minion rides a banana bronco. He will reach 39.2 feet tall.
The Big Apple balloon of Sanrio’s white cat holds a red apple and is about 33.6 feet tall. Billie Brightpaw is an original Macy’s character, and she wears a red hat and scarf. She is 29.5 feet tall. Macy’s says more than 26,000 Billie Brightpaw plush toys could fit inside her balloon.
Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey wears a blue wizard hat and a red robe from Fantasia. The balloon is more than 62 feet long. It will be the 21st Mickey Mouse balloon in the parade, which first featured one in 1934.
“Every year, we’ve got the great challenge and task, a beautiful opportunity to introduce brand new characters into the parade. And the most important part of that process is ensuring that, at a moment’s notice, once that balloon takes flight, it’s immediately recognizable,” said Will Coss, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, according to the New York Post.
Coss said as many as 100 people handle a single balloon. The number changes with the size of the balloon and the route it takes through the city. More than 2,000 volunteers take part in the balloon program, according to News 12 New Jersey.
More than 100 inflatable elements will fill the parade. Character balloons first showed up in 1927. The route starts at West 77th Street and Central Park West, then finishes at Macy’s Herald Square on West 34th Street.
NBC will air the parade live.
