Longest Running Balloons in the Parade

The original Bullwinkle balloon appeared in 23 parades, tying it for the longest lasting balloon in the Parade's history.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade features balloon characters that represent the most popular characters in media, both past and present. To keep the lineup fresh and modern, several balloons are retired every year and are subsequently replace with newcomers. Despite this, several balloons have stood the test of time and became true Parade staples, making several decades worth of appearances. Below is a list featuring balloons that have made the most appearances in the Parade through a single balloon.

Rules

• The balloon must have been in at least 11 Parades or more.
• The balloon also must be a single balloon design, as those with more than one balloon (such as Pikachu, Ronald McDonald, Snoopy, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Barney) don't technically count as long-running balloons. Balloons like these would belong into their own separate list, which can be read here.
• Identical balloon re-creations, such as the Pillsbury Doughboy, do not count, as they are separate balloons.
• Deflations and removals count, as they still would have appeared in the parade.
• Brief returns (like in 1991) also count.
• Novelty balloons (such as Harold the Fireman and the Red Candy Cane) are not eligible.

Longest-Running Giant Balloons

• Happy Dragon (1960-1964, 1966-1981, 1991-1992) - 23 Parades
• Bullwinkle (1st version; 1961-1983) - 23 Parades
• Linus the Lionhearted (1964-1983, 1991) - 21 Parades
• Underdog (1965-1984) - 20 Parades
• Smokey Bear (1st version; 1966-1981, 1993) - 17 Parades
• Snoopy (original balloon; 1968-1982, 1985) - 16 parades
• Woody Woodpecker (1982-1996) - 15 Parades
• Dino the Dinosaur (1st version; 1963-1976) - 14 Parades
• Garfield (1st version; 1984-1989, 1992-1999) - 14 Parades
• Mickey Mouse (2nd version; 1971-1983) - 13 Parades
• Kermit the Frog (1st version; 1977-1987, 1990-1991) - 13 Parades
• Big Bird (1st version; 1988-2000) - 13 Parades
• Donald Duck (2nd version; 1962-1972, 1984) - 12 Parades
• Spider-Man (1st version; 1987-1998) - 12 Parades
• Quik Bunny (1988-1999) - 12 Parades
• Clifford the Big Red Dog (1990-1996, 2000-2004) - 12 Parades
• Popeye (1957-1967) - 11 Parades