Dear friends, our boy Mario is joining the Thanksgiving celebration! Nintendo of America and Macy’s announced that a fresh Mario balloon will debut on November 27 during the 99th annual New York Thanksgiving Parade.
The balloon in question will be launched to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., which debuted in 1985 in Japan. It was created by Macy’s Parade Studio artist team and measures an incredible 51 feet 2 inches long, 37 feet wide and 43 feet 8 inches high.
According to a composite 3D photo of the balloon that the companies released with the announcement, below, Balloon Mario dons his classic costume and strikes a flying pose inspired by Super Mario Galaxy.
“Having Mario join this iconic holiday tradition is an amazing way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.” Nintendo of America Vice President of Revenue, Marketing and Consumer Experience Devon Pritchard said in a statement. “Since Mario emerged from the Warp Pipe, he has embodied our goal of putting smiles on faces around the world. We are thrilled that Mario fans of all ages will see the debut of his new Macy’s Balloon at the Thanksgiving Day Parade.”
The character never appears to have made an appearance at the iconic Thanksgiving parade, which could have been a rights issue all these years later – but it’s great to see Macy’s and Nintendo finally team up to make this fan’s dream a reality.
“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has long been the stage for some of the world’s most beloved characters, and this year we’re excited to partner with Nintendo to welcome a new Mario Balloon celebrating that tradition,” Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade producer Jordan Dabby added in a statement.
“As Mario celebrates 40 years of inspiring gamers and families around the world, his flight through the streets of Manhattan is both a historic milestone and a joyous celebration — surely fans around the world are cheering ‘Wahoo!’ this Thanksgiving morning.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air on November 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on NBC. The event will also be available to stream on Peacock.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
