It has been nearly 100 years since Macy’s launched its Thanksgiving Day Parade outside the department store’s flagship Herald Square location in 1924. Since then, it has become the world’s largest parade, and has delighted untold millions since NBC began to broadcast the event in 1952. For many families, it has become an annual tradition to watch the parade as they prepare their Thanksgiving feasts, the official unofficial kickoff to the holiday season. While many elements make the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade special, one of the most important are the giant balloons featuring iconic characters that have been a hallmark of the event since the late 1920s. Now, as the parade nears its centennial, the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to determine: what IS the Best Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon of all time?

Join host Eric Rezsnyak and GPCD panelists Andrea Guerrero, Joelle Boedecker, and Karissa Kloss as they discuss 16 of the most iconic balloons from Macy's Parade history.

Did your favorite not make the bracket? Become a Patreon supporter of the podcast and see if we discussed it in our warm-up devoted to our favorite balloons that just missed out on the competition.

For images of all the balloons, and a downloadable listener bracket so you can play along at home, check out our website.

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Host: Eric Rezsnyak

Panel: Andrea Guerrero, Joelle Boedecker, Karissa Kloss

Producer: Bob Erlenback

Editor: Jeffery Perry

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