A new Spider-Man balloon will fly in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, marking the return of the New York City superhero to the balloon lineup after a decade of absence.
New Spider-Man Balloon
The newly designed balloon honors the 85th anniversary of Marvel Comics. It’s inspired by the art style of comic book artist John Romita Sr., who began work on “The Amazing Spider-Man” in 1966 and defined the hero’s iconic look.
A costumed character and two other Spider-Man balloons have previously appeared in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The first costumed character debuted in 1981. The first balloon appeared in 1987 and depicted Spider-Man crawling down the streets of NYC. That ballon’s final flight was in the 1998 parade, after which it was retired.
The second balloon debuted at the 2009 parade. In 2011, there was a “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” pre-parade performance and a costumed character accompanied the balloon. The second balloon was retired after the 2014 parade.
Spider-Man has since appeared as a costumed character on the 2022 and 2023 Disney Cruise Line floats. A new Disney Cruise Line float, featuring the bows of eight ships, will set sail at this year’s parade.
Following in the footsteps of the previous Spider-Man balloons, the new balloon is also approximately 78 feet long.
The 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade also marks the debut of the parade’s first-ever Minnie Mouse balloon. The parade will air live on NBC, with a simulcast on Peacock, on Thursday, November 28, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST. An encore presentation will begin at 2 p.m. EST.
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