Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Falloon Characters

While new falloon characters are introduced every year, many crowd favorites remain.
Allegedly coined in the early 1970s by Macy's Day Parade float and balloon designers, the term "falloon," a portmanteau of "float" and "balloon," denotes a cold-air balloon tethered to a parade float. While new falloon characters are introduced every year, many crowd favorites remain. Here are a few of our favorite Macy's Day falloons:
- Kool-Aid Man: What's cooler than Kool-Aid? First created in 1927 by Edwin and Kitty Perkins, Kool-Aid is Nebraska's official soft drink. This cool Macy's Parade falloon features none other than Kool-Aid's official mascot, the Kool-Aid Man.
- The Grinch: Each year at the Macy's Day Parade, the grumpy, miserly, and categorically unpleasant star of Dr. Seuss's classic children's book rides down the streets of New York City on his colorful, Seussical sleigh. Adults will laugh and children will cheer when they first lay eyes on this iconic green antihero.
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: As the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade marks the official beginning of the Christmas season, it is fitting that Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer make an appearance. First introduced in 1997, this classic falloon made a notable appearance in 1999, when it bore actress Florence Henderson of The Brady Bunch down the parade route.