Winter Wonderland in Central Park, also known as simply Winter Wonderland or Central Park, is a legacy float from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
In 2008, the magicians and artisans at the Macy's Parade Studio produced a gorgeously-detailed float based on the iconic Gothic Bridge located in Central Park. Entitled "Winter Wonderland," the festive float features an ice skating pond (made from Teflon), located underneath the Gothic Bridge surrounded by snow-covered pine trees and vintage streetlights.
During its inaugural appearance in the 2008 Parade, Kermit the Frog made a special appearance on the float, sitting on a snow-covered log. That same year, members of Camp Broadway served as the float's escorts.
The Winter Wonderland in Central Park float was reintroduced to the 2009 Parade as an all-new float. Similar in design to its previous incarnation, the float was larger and features snow-covered pine trees, vintage streetlights and ice skaters gliding across the frozen pond under the landmark Gothic Bridge, recreating a quintessential New York experience. Delta Air Lines was also named sponsor of the float, and float escorts donned Victorian-era winter clothing as they walked alongside the float along the route.
Following the 2009 procession, the original float was shipped south to Universal Orlando Resort to be used in the Macy's Holiday Parade, where it would make regular appearances for several years until the Parade's eventual rebranding in 2017.
The Winter Wonderland in Central Park float became a modern Parade staple, making several appearances in the famed holiday spectacle over the next decade. The float was shortly retired following the 2016 Parade, and was later returned to the line of march for the 2019 Parade.
Upon its return, the float was named simply "Central Park", and was stripped of from Delta Air Lines branding, as the company had been sponsoring the Macy's Singing Christmas Tree for several years prior. As a result of the Singing Christmas Tree's absence from the reimagined 2020 Parade, however, Delta once again sponsored the Central Park float.
After a brief absence in 2021, the float returned to the line of march in the next three parades.
Guest Stars[]
Listed below are the guest stars that have appeared and/or performed on the Winter Wonderland in Central Park float, alongside the respective songs which they sang during the NBC Parade telecast.
- 2008 - Kermit the Frog and Camp Broadway, sang "I Believe"
- 2009 - Andrea Bocelli, sang "White Christmas," with performance by Emily Hughes
- 2010 - Ann Hampton Callaway with the Young People's Chorus of NYC, sang "Yes Virginia"
- 2011 - Straight No Chaser, sang "This Christmas"
- 2012 - Mannheim Steamroller, performed "The First Noel"
- 2013 - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, sang "Ain't No Chimneys In the Projects"
- 2014 - Renée Fleming, sang "Winter Wonderland"
- 2015 - Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, sang "One December Night"
- 2016 - Brett Eldredge, sang "Let It Snow"
- 2019 - Lea Michele, sang "Christmas in New York," with performance by Manhattan Youth Ballet
- 2020 - New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Ashley Bouder, performed "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"
- 2022 - Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, sang "Almost Too Early for Christmas"
- 2023 - Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, sang "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)"
- 2024 - Sebastián Yatra with Macy's and Big Brothers Big Sisters Choir, sang “Santa Claus is coming to town”