Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons

1 commentNovember 21, 20112 min readby Jennifer Mattern

One of the most famous parades in the U.S. is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And one of the things it’s famous for is huge parade floats. These giant balloons float down the streets of Manhattan on Thanksgiving morning, guided by hoards of people controlling them with ropes. It’s truly a sight to see. I’ve only been to the parade in person once, when I was a young child. But ever since, I’ve tried to at least catch it on TV on the holiday.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and these cool character floats, you might enjoy this photostream. It features several popular balloons from recent years.

scooby doo parade float — Scooby Doo parade float being inflated - 2007 - Credit: iShot71 (via Flickr)

Smurf Parade Float — Smurf parade float - 2009 - Credit: n0nick (via Flickr)

Pillsbury Doughboy Float — The Pillsbury Doughboy parade float - 2009 - Credit: Jere Keys (via Flickr)

Mickey Mouse Parade Float — Mickey Mouse parade float - 2009 - Credit: n0nick (via Flickr)

Buzz Lightyear Float — Buzz Lightyear Parade Float - 2009 - Credit: Jere Keys

Dora the Explorer Parade Float - 2009 - Credit: Jere Keys (via Flickr)

Shrek parade float - 2008 - Credit: Ben+Sam (via Flickr)

Spongebob Squarepants Parade Float — Spongebob Squarepants parade float - 2008 - Credit: Ben+Sam (via Flickr)

Spiderman Parade Float — Spiderman parade float - 2010 - Credit: Nick Harris (via Flickr)

Ronald McDonald Parade Float — Ronald McDonald parade float - 2009 - Credit: Jere Keys

Kermit the Frog Parade Float — Kermit the Frog parade float - 2008 - Credit: Ben+Sam (via Flickr)

Snoopy Parade Float - 2008 - Credit: Ben+Sam (via Flickr)

Do you regularly go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or watch it on TV? If so, what’s your favorite float? What other features of the parade do you enjoy? Other than the balloons, I personally enjoy the Broadway cast performances. Share your thoughts or links to your own parade photos in the comments below. And Happy Thanksgiving!