The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the unofficial start to the holiday season.
And an essential part of the parade are the larger-than-life balloons that trot down the famed New York City route.
The size of the balloons is massive, and without them the parade wouldn't be what it is. So here are some interesting facts about the inflatables that have come to define the parade:
1.According to CNN, the balloons were first introduced in the 1927 parade when Macy's Christmas Parade (which debuted in 1924) was renamed the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
2.Based on old New York Times reports, some of the balloons were set free after the parade in the '20s and early '30s. In 1931, a test balloon originally released in New Jersey was located in Nova Scotia, Canada.
3.The parade was paused in 1942 during World War II, and CNN says Macy's president at the time Jack Straus donated about 650 pounds of balloon rubber for military efforts. The parade resumed in 1945.
4.Balloon accidents have occurred throughout the years, including Superman's left hand falling off after an incident with a tree in 1986.
5.According to the New York Times, NYC agencies currently begin preparing for the balloons to take flight two months before the parade. This includes identifying possible street obstructions that could pop or hold back the balloons. They then will remove things in the way, like light poles.
6.Balloons have been tested at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Here's a test flight for SpongeBob SquarePants in 2013:
7.Balloons have also been tested at Citi Field in Queens, New York, including McDonald's mascot Ronald McDonald in 2021.
8.The night before the parade, the balloons are laid out on the street of New York where people go to watch them be inflated. Here's the Buzz Lightyear balloon being inflated in 2010:
9.According to CNN, Snoopy is the longest-running balloon character, first introduced in 1968. Here's Snoopy in 1970:
10.Over the years, Snoopy has taken on various iterations, most recently as an astronaut since 2019.
11.This year, Snoopy will be donning a new costume: a Beagle Scout uniform. Here is the new balloon being flight tested:
13.In total, there will be 25 balloons this year, including Stuart the Minion from the Despicable Me franchise. Check out the full list here.
14.Finally, once the parade is complete, balloons simply get deflated and go into storage. According to People, they're stored in New Jersey. Here's a balloon being deflated in 2021:
Do you have a favorite balloon from past years of the parade? Tell us in the comments below!
