Petula Pig is an original Macy’s creation who appeared as a giant helium balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
Petula Pig made her debut in the 1997 Macy’s Parade, as one of four brand-new giant balloons. The divine bovine hogged the spotlight wearing her tutu, pearl necklace, and a pair of ballet slippers that measure 13 by nine feet each. Petula received a slopping ovation as she pirouetted down the Parade line at 36 feet tall and 24 feet wide, with 4,928 cubic feet of helium keeping her portly frame aloft.
During the balloon’s debut appearance, the Cat in the Hat balloon was knocked into a lamp post, injuring four spectators. Due to this, the final two giant balloons in the Parade—Petula Pig and Eben Bear—were sidelined at 77th Street as a safety precaution.
In 1999, Petula Pig returned to the Parade lineup, hamming it up as she performed her trademark Swine Lake. That year, the balloon was sponsored by John Deere, who at the time was the official provider of utility vehicles for the Parade. The balloon was permanently retired from the lineup following this appearance.
Since 2008, the Petula Pig balloon has been used for Balloon Field Training events, helping handlers to learn the ropes of flying Macy’s famed balloons. Petula’s most recent flight around the test track came in summer 2020, when she was used as a test candidate for a five-vehicle framework; a temporary handling method put in place to reduce the amount of balloon handlers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trivia[]
- The Petula Pig balloon was inflated inside Macy's Parade Studio as a decoration for Studio Day in 1997.
- Petula Pig's favorite musicians are The Bacon Brothers; she reportedly squealed with delight upon hearing they'd appear in the 1999 Parade.