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Don’t Miss the Doughboy in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®

By Pillsbury Kitchens
Updated November 7, 2024
Pillsbury Doughboy balloon at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade™
Before your family shows up, before the big dinner, there’s the Pillsbury™ Doughboy in the #MacysParade on Thanksgiving morning—a chance to snuggle in front of the TV with your family and a scrumptious breakfast. And we’ve got so many fun recipe ideas for you!

For many of us, Thanksgiving morning is about more than just getting ready for the big meal. It's about being with family for the holiday season's kickoff, cuddling up on comfy couches clad in cozy jammies and watching the TV as larger-than-life balloons fly high among the skyscrapers of New York City's streets.

A family tradition: Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®

You might remember Thanksgivings as a kid, sitting in front of the TV as your parents bustled around in the background. Later that day, everyone would gather together at the table to enjoy a sprawling Thanksgiving dinner spread that seemed to appear magically. Nowadays, you might be the one who spends more time in the kitchen than in the living room, the sounds of distant marching bands accompanying your Thanksgiving meal prep. Or, maybe you’ll take a break, snuggle in next to the kids and watch the Pillsbury Doughboy balloon make its way across the screen—all of you licking your fingers clean of cinnamon roll icing or apple pie cup filling.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® is a tradition you won't want to miss. So fire up the oven, get cozy with the family and tune in on Thursday, Nov 28, 2024 - 8:30 a.m. to noon ET to enjoy a morning of magic and fun!

Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Cinnamon Rolls
Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Cinnamon Rolls
How do you know it’s a holiday morning? The delicious smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls wafting out of the kitchen. Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls make sweet holiday memories easy.
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A Short History of the Parade—and the Pillsbury Doughboy Balloon

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® made its debut in the 1920s, when many of the employees at Macy's were first-generation immigrants. They wanted to celebrate the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving with the type of festival their European parents had loved.

The first Macy's holiday parade was held in 1924, and since then it has grown exponentially to include more than 60 giant character balloon variations (with fun names like “balloonicles” and “trycallons”).

The giant Pillsbury Doughboy balloon debuted in 2009, and over the past 14 years, we think he's only gotten more loveable with age!

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® by the Numbers

  • 54: The height of the Doughboy balloon in feet
  • 90: How many minutes it takes to inflate a giant parade balloon
  • 16: The total number of giant character balloons in the 2023 #MacysParade

What to Eat While You Watch the Parade

Your Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® viewing party deserves an especially cozy and scrumptious breakfast—that puts as little stress on the kitchen (hello, it’s Thanksgiving!) as possible. Never fear, we’ve created a collection of easy-breezy, kid-friendly recipes that come together quicker than you can say, “Doughboy!”