Best Floats & Balloons From The 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy’s 2023 Thanksgiving Day Parade featured a variety of new floats. In total, there were 16 character balloons, 26 floats, 32 heritage and novelty balloons, 12 marching bands and more than 700 clowns.
This year’s parade was viewed by 28.5 million viewers and ran for three and 1/2 hours instead of its usual three-hour runtime. New floats and balloons were added to this year’s parade, adding to the list of fan-favorite attractions.
The occasion’s latest inclusions featured a show-stopping Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ “Mutant Mayhem” float by Nickelodeon and Paramount, a nostalgic Beagle Scout Snoopy by Peanuts Worldwide balloon, a Leo balloon from Netflix Inc., a Pillsbury Doughboy balloon by Pillsbury, an Uncle Dan balloons by Illumination and a kid-friendly “Kung Fu Panda’s” Po balloon by Universal Pictures’ Dreamworks Animation.
Other striking attractions included a new Monkey D. Luffy balloon by Toei Animation Inc., Brach’s “Palace of Sweets,” Solo Stove’s “Igniting Memories” and Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Deliciously Delectable World of Wonka” which takes direct inspiration from Timothee Chalamet’s fantasy film, “Wonka.” The film arrives in theaters on Dec. 15, according to ABC 7.
This year’s balloon lineup also included the Acorn, Spongebob Squarepants, Paw Patrol and “Dragon Ball Z”‘s Goku, among others. On the float front, the occasion featured the returning displays from beloved characters as well, including the cast of “Sesame Street,” Baby Shark and Tom Turkey. As usual, the festivities ended with jolly old Santa Claus riding in on a Christmas-themed float.
Macy’s Parade Studio team includes 27 painters, carpenters, animators, sculptors, welders, scene and costume designers and electricians and engineers. The team behind the parade spends more than 8,000 hours behind the scenes each year, bringing the beloved parade to life.
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Amina Ayoud is an Assistant Digital Editor for Footwear News, where she writes stories about everything from celebrity style to breaking fashion and shoe releases. Ayoud cultivated a love of all things fashion early in life thanks to a deep love of fashion history and the luxury industry. In her free time, Ayoud is a self-proclaimed fashion nerd and thriftaholic.