The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual event hosted on Thanksgiving Day in New York by the Macy's department store since 1924. One of the special events in the parade is of the large-polyurethane character floats filled with helium. In 2004, SpongeBob SquarePants made an appearance to promote The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and became a recurring balloon since then.
Variations[]
Version 1 (2004)[]
SpongeBob would make his first appearance in the parade in 2004. The first version of the balloon had a design of him with his arms up and his legs bent back, looking down at the parade below. This would also be the parade’s first square balloon. This version of the balloon flew in the parade from 2004 to 2006, and again from 2008 to 2012.
Version 2 (2013)[]
The second version of the SpongeBob balloon debuted in 2013. The balloon depicts SpongeBob hanging onto his Santa hat as he flies through the parade route. This version of the balloon was used from 2013 to 2018, until this version was retired.
In 2017, the cast of the SpongeBob SquarePants musical performed the song “Bikini Bottom Day” before the parade started on NBC.[1]
Version 3 (2019)[]
The third version of the balloon debuted in 2019. SpongeBob is now lounging in the sky, with his legs and head up, as Gary lays on his back. This is the first time that Gary is depicted as a balloon. The balloon would not appear in 2020 due to the pandemic, but they would appear again starting in 2021. As of 2023, SpongeBob and Gary are still in the parade.
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