New York City’s 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade mixed long-standing tradition with new pop-culture icons on Thursday, as crowds bundled up along Central Park West to watch a fresh lineup of character balloons and floats.
This year’s parade marked the absence of classics like Popeye and Olive Oyl, replaced by newer sensations including a giant, leering Labubu balloon inspired by the hugely popular collectible plush toy, and characters from the hit Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” A menacing Demogorgon from Netflix’s “Stranger Things” also joined the parade on a new float, alongside a special Lego float designed to be recreated at home in miniature.
“We incorporate brand-new elements that are speaking to the moment,” said Will Coss, the parade’s executive producer since 2021, who oversaw this year’s updates. Popeye, who debuted in the parade in 1939 and last appeared in 1980, remained in storage at a Macy’s warehouse in New Jersey.
How The Parade Went
The parade began with Tom Turkey leading the procession down Central Park West to cheers that swelled from a low rumble into a roar. Spectators packed the sidewalks and perched on ridges in Central Park as balloon Mario drifted by, cheerleaders performed autumn-themed routines, and a marching band from Northern Arizona University played a Lady Gaga medley.
Street vendors also took advantage of the holiday spectacle. Tommy Johnson, 66, a retired municipal worker from Connecticut, sold plush turkey hats for $10 apiece, having driven from New Haven at 2:30 a.m. with 100 hats. “Everyone eats turkey,” he joked. “Why not wear it on your head?”
Parade staples such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Spider-Man floated overhead as crowds waited for the much-talked-about “Stranger Things” float. Hidden inside that Demogorgon are puppeteers Paul Andrejco and Michael Bush, who spend the 43-block route cramped within the structure, operating its arms and legs through rods and a handlebar-like mechanism.
Andre jco, whose company Puppet Heap helped design the creature, said they trained their core muscles and stamina during test runs at Macy’s 72,000-square-foot studio in Moonachie, New Jersey. The pair take turns inside the monster during the long march from West 77th Street to Herald Square.
As confetti, marching bands and Santa maintained the holiday continuity, the new characters underscored how the parade continues to evolve with each generation’s shifting icons—trading spinach-powered sailors for K-pop warriors, video game heroes and streaming-era demons.
