Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade



The first Kermit the Frog balloon debuted in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1977. The balloon was 63 feet tall and 24 feet wide, and took four hours and 5,220 cubic feet of helium to reach its full size. It was constructed at the Goodyear plant in Rockmart, Georgia.

Macy's also carry parade exclusive merchandise every year. Many of those items have featured the Muppets, included a water globe featuring the Big Bird balloon, and plush versions of Grover and Kermit.

In 1979, the Kermit balloon was the first inflatable from the parade to travel outside of the USA, heading to England to help celebrate the International Year of the Child.

In 2006, the Macy's Parade-on-Parade tour was launched. Stopping in 23 cities in 19 states, the tour featured a cold air Grover balloon as part of the tour.

The current Sesame Street float measures 32 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 2 stories tall.

Muppet Appearances at the Macy's Parade

 * 1974: Sesame Street float, representing the Street set, with Big Bird and human cast members
 * 1975: Sesame Street float
 * 1976: Sesame Street float
 * 1977: Kermit balloon debuts
 * 1979: Miss Piggy rode through the parade in a Rolls Royce, followed by the rest of the Muppets in the Electric Mayhem Bus
 * 1984: Fraggle Rock float and walk-around characters
 * 1985: Kermit balloon
 * 1986: Big Bird balloon debuts
 * 1987: Kermit balloon, Jim Henson and Kermit accept the Roley Award
 * 1990: Kermit balloon, Kermit and Miss Piggy walk-arounds riding in a Rolls-Royce car, Tribute to Jim Henson, Ernie and Bert sing "Do You Like Me?"
 * 1991: Kermit balloon.
 * 1994: Sesame Street float, Kermit and Miss Piggy on a float
 * 1997: Sesame Street float
 * 1998: Babe balloon, Big Bird balloon, Sesame Street float
 * 1999: Sesame Street float
 * 2000: Sesame Street float
 * 2001: Big Bird balloon (New balloon debuts), Sesame Street float
 * 2002: Kermit balloon (New balloon debuts, it is 78' long, 36' wide, 61' tall, and filled with 11,000 cubic feet of helium), Sesame Street float, Al Roker interviews Kermit and Miss Piggy
 * 2003: Super Grover balloon debuts, Kermit balloon, Sesame Street float
 * 2004: Super Grover balloon, Kermit balloon, Sesame Street float (cast members sang "The Street We Live On")
 * 2005: Super Grover balloon, Sesame Street float (cast sang "Dancing Shoes"), Big Bird balloon
 * 2006: Sesame Street float (first time with Abby Caddaby, cast members sang "Another Sunny Day"), Big Bird and Super Grover balloons (were flown lower, due to bad wind conditions.) Additionally, John Tartaglia appeared in the parade, riding in the Doodlebug float.
 * 2007: Abby Caddaby balloon (new balloon debuts), Sesame Street float (cast members sing "It Feels Good When You Sing a Song"), Kermit the Frog balloon
 * 2008: Abby Caddaby balloon; 123 Sesame Street Float (cast sings "Songs" with pianist Lang Lang); Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmire) performs the song "I Believe in Santa Claus", while riding in the Macy's float before Santa's; Kermit the Frog Balloon.