Sneak peek: Check out this year's newest Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons and floats
Get ready for a fabulous new holiday parade extravaganza as the 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes to the streets this Thursday.
New York City is once again rolling out the red carpet for the annual event that follows the city's streets from Central Park West to Macy's home base at 34th Street and 6th Avenue. (Here's a fun fact I just learned: A special Macy's team spends the night before the parade turning every single streetlight and traffic light on the 2.5-mile route out of the way of the oncoming balloons.)
This year's parade features more than 5,000 volunteers, 700 clowns, 16 giant character balloons, dozens of smaller inflatables, 26 floats, 12 marching bands and nine performance groups. That's not to mention the musical stars, Broadway performances and, of course, Santa Claus, all traversing the New York City parade route.
On behalf of TPG, I got a sneak peek at the newest balloons and floats over the past two weeks that will be joining the route this year. If the parade is part of your Turkey Day celebration, I'm here to tell you that you won't be disappointed.
Expect lots of kid-friendly fun from four new floats, including a few sweet treats and a fun travel-themed option, plus seven new high-flying balloons that will put a smile on your face — even if you're just a kid at heart.
Want a sneak peek, too? Read on.
New Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade floats
The Deliciously Delectable World of Willy Wonka
Even though there's no real candy on this sweet float based on the upcoming movie (trust me, I asked), there's plenty of eye candy to take in. There are 592,000 pieces of handcrafted prop sweets that fill the giant candy jars on the chocolate-themed float.
Some other highlights to keep an eye out for: Willy Wonka's purple velvet top coat, plus hat and cane, hanging by the "storefront door;" a "chocolate river" that flows around the base of the float; and a forest scene that looks as though it's all made of candy, including white chocolate rabbits and a pink cherry blossom tree filled with cotton candy.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
There's a parade's worth of retro throwback fun on this Nickelodeon/Paramount float, starting with Leo, Raphael, Donnie and Mikey, better known as The Teenage Mutant Turtles. The iconic "heroes on the half shell" will be waving to the crowds from atop the three-story New York City street scene, complete with a pizza shop for "delivery" by costumed volunteers of the turtles' favorite food.
Another great throwback to get excited for: Bell Biv DeVoe will be performing on the float's "sewer" stage.
Brach's Palace of Sweets
The parade gets even sweeter with a second candy-themed float. This one is by Brach's and feels like Santaland meets Candyland; there's a lot of Christmas theming, including a rotating, blinged-out tree and a three-story, pink-iced gingerbread house.
Keep an eye out for towering candy canes that are 9,720 times larger than the actual holiday treat. Another highlight to watch for is singer Brandy performing live.
Igniting Memories, Solo Stove
At TPG, we love a good travel theme, so I was excited to see this float of a classic campground scene complete with an RV and an outdoor (Solo Stove) fire pit. The float is in multiple sections, with the campground connected to an RV connected to a pretty powerful flatbed truck.
Keep an ear out as it rolls by for a performance by Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors.
Good Burgermobile
There's another hit of television nostalgia heading down the avenue: Kenan and Kel's Good Burgermobile cruising toward the premiere of the Good Burger 2 movie. This is technically a car, not a float, but it's still going to be a scene-stealer with its massive cheeseburger hood, hot dog headrests, pickle hubcaps and french fry windshield wipers.
Best of all, Macy's just confirmed to TPG that Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell will be driving the 5,000-pound convertible down the parade route.
New Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloons 2023
On a chilly November morning on the far outskirts of the Meadowlands, we also got a peek at the new balloons for this year's parade. Since it takes several hours to fill these massive floatables up with helium, we didn't see them all in the air. However, we did get the inside scoop on everything to watch for.
Beagle Scout Snoopy balloon by Peanuts Worldwide
Ok, we can't lie: Seeing a 42-foot-long, 34-foot-wide, 55-foot-tall Snoopy being inflated for the "Ballonfest" preview, with trusty Woodstock along for the ride, was a special highlight of our preparade reporting.
According to Kathleen Wright, Macy's director of production operation for the parade, this is the 10th version of Snoopy to float in the parade (the last version was astronaut Snoopy). The Peanuts pooch debuted in the 1968 Macy’s Parade (55 years ago) and has been the longest-running character balloon ever since.
Kung Fu Panda’s Po balloon by Universal Pictures’ Dreamworks Animation
"Kung Fu Panda 4" will be coming to the big screen in 2024. Before it debuts, the title panda, Po, will literally be filling the sky on Thanksgiving. The 39-foot bear is crafted from 1,000 yards of fabric.
Leo balloon by Netflix, Inc.
There's long, and then there's Leo balloon long: The 73-foot long balloon is the length of two telephone poles laid out end to end. The float is so massive it took nearly 50 gallons of paint to get his green skin glowing. (Leo, in case you were wondering, is the main lizard character voiced by Adam Sandler in a new animated movie set to debut soon on Netflix).
Uncle Dan balloon by Illumination
Nope, I didn't know who Uncle Dan the duck was either. However, I have it on good word that he'll be the star of a new animated comedy called Migration, which will premiere in the near future. Even without knowing Dan, it's easy to be impressed by his massive sandwich. The fake food experts at Macy's say that if it was real, it would include the ingredients of 7,300 normal-sized sub sandwiches.
Monkey D. Luffy balloon by Toei Animation Inc.
Anime’s favorite pirate, Monkey D. Luffy, the beloved captain of the Straw Hats, is 50 feet tall — the length of a semi-trailer truck. (That is one of the many reasons balloons are inflated near the parade's start on Central Park West and not in New Jersey where most of them are stored.)
Pillsbury Doughboy balloon
Here's a fun fact to consider while watching the smiling Doughboy balloon float through the New York City streets: It would take more than four million Pillsbury Crescent Rolls to create a “dough-sized” version of the balloon.
Blue Cat and Chugs by Cool Cats balloon
In case you're not familiar with Blue Cat, don't feel bad — I wasn't either. But I can now tell you that this blue feline cartoon character is the first ever NFT-based balloon in the parade, according to Macy's. Chugs, by the way, is a milk carton the 34-foot-tall Blue Cat is holding.
Related reading:
- 5 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade tips for first-time watchers
- 7 hotel suites with great views of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
- From ice skating rinks to Christmas markets, these airports make holiday travel fun
- Already booked your holiday travel? Here are the best cards for making your trips more comfortable
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.