New York 42 The 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
New York · Organized by Macy's
Macy's announcement Add to calendar
- Dates
- Nov 26, 2026
- Format
- In person
- Where
- New York
- Organizer
- Macy's
A parade gets to its hundredth only once. Macy's marches its 100th Thanksgiving Day Parade through Manhattan on Thursday, November 26, 2026, and has built the lineup around the number: 100 inflatable elements, the most the parade has ever carried.
New, and back after a long time
Two headliners lead the balloons: a brand-new Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey from Disney, and a reimagined Underdog, whose flight on Thanksgiving morning will be his first over New York since 1984. Two newcomers join them: Billie Brightpaw, the parade's newest character, and Tom Jr., son of Tom Turkey.
A century in one lineup
The Macy's All-Stars float brings back characters from parades past, Bullwinkle J. Moose, Olive Oyl, Popeye, Swee'Pea and Sonic the Hedgehog among them. A new float, Tony Sarg's Amazing Marionettes, honours the designer behind the parade's signature elements, with re-creations of his original characters and a puppet of Sarg himself. Felix the Cat returns too: in 1927 he was the parade's first character balloon, carried along the route on sticks, a year before the balloons were filled with helium.
The balloon that got away
In the early years the balloons were let go at the end of the parade, and whoever returned one to Macy's got a prize. After the 1931 parade every balloon came back except the Blue Hippopotamus, last seen floating past the Empire State Building. It returns this year, and Macy's says the details of how will follow.
Watching on TV
The parade is broadcast on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo from 8:30 a.m. in every time zone.
Watching on the street
Macy's announcement does not give the route or the time the parade steps off; those go up on macys.com/parade. Until then, the Herald Square flagship on 34th Street has a countdown clock to the 100th, and select Macy's stores are showing parade windows with balloons, archive images and facts from a century of parades.
The 8:30 a.m. in that announcement is television's time, not the street's: the broadcast is scheduled so every time zone sees it at 8:30 local, which tells you nothing about when the balloons pass a given corner of Manhattan. Plan a morning on the route from the route Macy's publishes, not from the TV listing. If the centenary is the reason you are going, the things that exist only this year are the ones worth looking for: Underdog after 42 years, the Tony Sarg float and the Blue Hippopotamus.
The 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: questions
When is the 2026 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Thursday, November 26, 2026. It is the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
What time is the parade on TV?
From 8:30 a.m. in all time zones, on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo.
Which balloons are new for the 100th parade?
Disney's Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey is brand new, Underdog is reimagined and flies for the first time since 1984, and Billie Brightpaw and Tom Jr. are newcomers. Macy's says the lineup has a record 100 inflatable elements.
Has Macy's published the 2026 parade route?
Not in its 100-day announcement, which gives the date and the broadcast time. Macy's points to macys.com/parade for parade news.
Source: Macy's, Inc. newsroom checked against the source
