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Macy’s Prepares for 100th Thanksgiving Day Parade With Seven New Balloons
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is preparing for a major milestone this year: its 100th parade.
The celebration is already taking shape, with seven new character balloons taking their first test flights Saturday at Balloonfest outside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The event gives organizers an opportunity to test the giant balloons in open-air conditions before they make their way through New York City on Thanksgiving morning. It also gives Macy’s a chance to introduce the newest additions to the parade lineup.
This year’s balloons include familiar favorites like Mickey Mouse, who first appeared in the parade in 1934, and Snoopy, along with Bluey, Joe Cool and a brand-new Macy’s character balloon named Billy Brightpaw.
Organizers say the balloons take months to create. The new characters featured at Balloonfest have been in production for more than 18 months, while planning for the parade itself has been underway for nearly five years.
The 100th parade marks a century of Macy’s employees, designers, fabricators and volunteers working together to bring the annual tradition to life.
Organizers say the milestone is an opportunity to celebrate the generations of families who have made the parade part of their Thanksgiving tradition.
The 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is scheduled for Thursday, November 26. Viewers can watch the celebration on NBC.
By: NBC Palm Springs
November 8, 2026
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