The Acorn is one of the Novelty Balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
The Acorn balloon made its debut in the 2015 Parade, acting as a companion to that year's Scrat balloon, re-enacting a famous gag from the Ice Age franchise of his everlasting pursuit for the runaway nut, only for it to avoid him at every turn. Measuring 21 feet wide, the oversized acorn had enough room to store 15 million of its kind, and was guided through the route and out of Scrat's hands by nine handlers. Following a subsequent two years of dodging the saber-toothed squirrel down Manhattan, the acorn was temporarily retired after 2017, along with Scrat himself.
Though this would conclude Scrat's tenure in the Parade, it wouldn't be the end for his prized possession. Three years after its retirement, the Acorn balloon that formerly accompanied him was listed on the Macy's Parade website, as a novelty balloon in its own right, scheduled for a return appearance in the 2020 Parade, with a team of mask-clad handlers flying it down 34th Street. However, weeks before the Parade began preparation, almost every balloon was pulled from the lineup, including the Acorn, as rising cases of COVID-19 caused the Parade to undergo even more changes. The balloon was not seen or mentioned on that Parade's telecast as a result.
Despite this, the Acorn successfully made its grand comeback in the 2021 Parade, appearing behind the Pumpkin balloons among the medley of autumnal units. The balloon was retired after 2023.