Get the kids excited for the 88th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with our roundup of some of our favorite balloons throughout the parade’s history.
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Live Elephants
The parade didn't always showcase high-flying helium characters. The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (then called the Macy's Christmas Parade), held in 1924, featured elephants from the Central Park Zoo. (Photo courtesy of Macy's) -
Betty Boop
Betty Boop led the parade perched on a crescent moon in 1985. (Photo courtesy of Macy's) -
Clifford
Clifford the Big Red Dog was a parade fixture from 1990-2004. (Photo courtesy of Macy's) -
Spider-man
The iconic Spider-man balloon has always been a parade crowd-pleaser since 1987. (Photo courtesy of Macy's) -
Rugrats
"Rugrats'" Tommy Pickles, Chuckie, and Spike were the first Nickelodeon characters to join the parade.When they debuted in 1997, they were also the parade's first three-character balloon. -
Arthur
Arthur the aardvark brought his school books along for the 1997 parade. -
Big Bird
Sesame Street's beloved Big Bird balloon debuted in 1988.This second version of him playing the cymbals joined the procession in 2001. (Photo courtesy of Macy's) -
Kermit the Frog
This second version of Jim Henson's leading muppet took to the skies in '02, a 25 years after the character's 1977 debut. (Photo courtesy of Macy's) -
Garfield
The lasagna-loving kitty joined the parade in 1984, and a second version of the balloon joined the lineup in 2003. -
Hello Kitty
We can't wait to see Hello Kitty take to the skies this year in celebration of her 40th anniversary. She's been a part of the parade since 2007. (Photo courtesy of Macy's) -
Jeff Koons' "Rabbit"
Jeff Koons' transformed his "Rabbit" sculpture into a balloon for the '07 parade. -
Buzz Lightyear
Buzz traveled to infinity--or rather, Central Park West--and beyond starting in 2008. -
Sailor Mickey
The first Mickey Mouse appeared in the 1934 parade. Sailor Mickey debuted in 2009 to mark the announcement of Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy cruise ships. -
Julius
Paul Frank's "Julius The Sock Monkey" jetted above the crowds for the first time in 2011. -
Snoopy and Woodstock
Seven versions of Snoopy have floated down the West Side since Aviator Snoopy debuted in 1968, flying in a total 38 parades. This version of the lovable dog and his sidekick debuted in 2013. (Photo courtesy of Macy's)