Mario Joining the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this Year with 40th Anniversary Balloon

“Having Mario join this iconic holiday tradition is an incredible way to honor the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.,” said Devon Pritchard, EVP of Revenue, Marketing & Consumer Experience at Nintendo of America in an official announcement. “Since he first emerged from a Warp Pipe, Mario has embodied our goal of bringing smiles to faces all over the world. We are excited for Mario fans of all ages to see his new balloon’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade debut.”

The Mario balloon was created by the team of artists at Macy’s Parade Studio in partnership with Nintendo of America. The balloon will measure 51-feet and 2-inches long, 37-feet wide, and 43-feet and 8-inches tall. Mario will be dressed in his classic red and blue, and posed in a flying pose inspired by Super Mario Galaxy. 

In Nintendo’s official announcement, producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Jordan Dabby added that, “the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has long been a stage for the world’s most beloved characters, and this year we’re thrilled to partner with Nintendo to welcome a new Mario balloon to that tradition. As Mario celebrates 40 years of inspiring players and families worldwide, his flight down the streets of Manhattan is both a historic milestone and a joyful celebration—one sure to have fans everywhere cheering ‘Wahoo!’ this Thanksgiving morning.”

Wahoo indeed. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air on Nov. 27 from 8:30am to 12pm this year. It can be watched on NBC, as well as streamed on Peacock.