‘Bigger, better and more creative.’ News 12 gets sneak peek of this year’s Macy's Thanksgiving Day floats

From the Wondorous World of Wildlife at the Bronx Zoo to the Candy Cosmos by Haribo, the artists say the new floats unveiled offer something for everyone.

Amanda Eustice

Nov 19, 2024, 11:00 PM

Updated 20 days ago

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For the past year, creators inside the Macy's Parade Studio in Moonachie have been hard at work crafting and carefully designing seven new floats for the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
From the Wondorous World of Wildlife at the Bronx Zoo to the Candy Cosmos by Haribo, the artists say the new floats unveiled offer something for everyone.
"We are so excited because we are just so proud of this year's show and so proud of all of the elements...We are always trying to make things bigger and better and more creative than ever. I think this year's lineup really shows that," said Kathleen Wright, director of Production Operations at Macy's Studios.
This year‘s parade is set to have the largest lineup yet with 17 character balloons, 22 floats, 15 heritage and novelty balloons, 11 marching bands and 10 musical performances.
Disney Cruise Line, Go Bowling, Nickelodeon and even Netflix are a part of this year's parade.
And for the first time, the Bronx Zoo has a float.
"It looks like one float, but it's actually three floats connected by a series of bridges. What we’re doing is telling the story of different biomes that you can see while you're at the Bronx Zoo and those animals," said Brendan Kennedy, production director of Creator Production.
The artists behind the floats say while their job is to not only create something that's never been seen before, it's also to be able to tell a story with each of these floats - like the one from Pasta Knight by Rao's Homemade.
"A literal pasta knight, Al Dente riding a rigatoni pony, and he is joined by his friendly foe Arrabbiata, who is a fire-breathing dragon. They are all made out of pasta," said Kennedy.
"I hope that everyone sees this parade and is inspired to start their holiday season," Wright said. "To start new holiday traditions. To bring their family together, to bring their friends together because that really is what the holiday is all about."
Once this year's parade is over, creators say they will already begin planning for next year.