‘Stranger Things’ Hits Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade With Hawkins Float and 8-Foot Demogorgon Puppet
Brendan Kennedy, director of creative production at Macy’s studio, has dried out from last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade after the festivities were dampened by persistent rain.
Come rain or shine, Kennedy, now on his second parade, is ready to “show off the floats and balloons that we’ve been working on for over a year.”
Aside from the traditional balloons and floats, Kennedy revealed Buzz Lightyear, Mario, Shrek and Pac-Man are among the new balloons. The phenomena that are KPop Demon Hunters and Labubu will also be represented during the parade.
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However, Kennedy is most excited for the debut of the “Stranger Things” float. With the first installment of the fifth and final season dropping on Netflix the day before, the timing is perfect.
“The Duffer brothers have been on it the whole time,” Kennedy says. “This is such a cool departure from saying, ‘Hey, 3D print me something from a film.’ What we’re doing here is creating a world. This is fully experiential.”
The float will feature the Hawkins National Laboratory. “There’s a containment device meant to contain an eight and a half foot tall Demogorgon puppet,” he adds. “That size is really in the wheelhouse of parade and continuing the legacy of Tony Sarg’s puppetry in the parade.”
The float itself will feature practical effects, including lighting and smoke effects. “It’s the laboratory come to life.” Kennedy teases that there are easter eggs within the design of the float. In addition to that, Foreigner, whose music featured prominently in the show, will be performing on 34th Street.
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“Wicked: For Good” star Cynthia Erivo is set to open the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade” with what promises to be a “show-stopping opening number.”
Other marquee performances include the singing voices behind “KPop Demon Hunters” gropu Huntr/X, EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami. Musical numbers from Broadway’s “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Just in Time,” and “Ragtime” will also feature, as well an appearance by the Radio City Rockettes, who are celebrating their 100th anniversary.
The parade takes almost a year to plan with a team of thousands working behind the scenes. Costume designers, musicians and volunteers spend months working behind the scenes to pull it off.
It’s a massive undertaking with over 2,000 gallons of paint, 300 pounds of glitter and 200 pounds of confetti used.
Through it all, Kennedy and the team keep a close eye on the weather. While Kennedy can’t predict what the day will look like, they do track the forecast to ensure performers are kept warm and the balloons are protected. He explains, “Last year, Kimberly Montgomery, who runs the costume design team, knew it was going to rain, and she suggested an HVAC system that would keep the ballerinas and 500 cheerleaders all warm. In addition, it would dry out the character balloons so they wouldn’t mold, crack, or be ruined by the weather.”
He continues, “We are rain or shine, and we’ve been that way for 99 parades. We can’t control the weather, but we can control how we prepare for it.”
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2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day by the Numbers
34 balloons
4 balloonicles
28 fantastic floats
14 specialty units
33 clown groups
11 marching bands
Approx. 8,000 participants in all (approx. 5,000 volunteers, plus band and performance groups members)
Gallons of Paint – 2,000
Pounds of Glitter – 300
Pounds of Confetti – 200
Paint Brushes – 75 fine art brushes + 300 additional types of brushes
Costumes – 4,500+
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The “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” will air Nov. 27, at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones. It will air on NBC and stream on Peacock.
