Nickelodeon will kick off the holiday season in high-flying style when elements showcasing popular characters from Nickelodeon’s hit animated series
on Thursday, Nov. 27.
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| Dora the Explorer Balloon in the 98th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® |
SpongeBob SquarePants and his beloved pet snail, Gary, will once again soar above the New York City skyline Thanksgiving morning. This optimistic sea sponge is all smiles as he returns for his 21st appearance ready for some F.U.N. with his pet snail Gary before he sets off on a deep-sea theatrical adventure to the underworld in The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants this Christmas.
Joining SpongeBob and Gary the Snail will be Marshall, the heroic firefighter dalmatian pup from PAW Patrol, produced by Spin Master Entertainment. This lovable pup is sure to save the day and delight live spectators and viewers across the country.
Dora, the first Latina character to ever appear in the Parade, and her friends, including Boots, Map and Backpack, will also return, bringing the wonders and fun of the rainforest to the streets of New York with DORA’s Fantastical Rainforest, a vibrant, eye-catching float and balloon hybrid element. Making a special appearance on the float will be powerhouse Brazilian pop star Luísa Sonza.
Additionally, the fan-favorite pizza-loving Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will emerge once again from the sewers onto the streets of the Big Apple with a vibrant multilevel float inspired by the hit animated series
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, streaming now on
Paramount+. Making a special appearance on the
TMNT float will be Trailblazer Busta Rhymes.
All four elements return to the Parade after making their debuts last year.
Also returning to the Parade after making their debut last last year will be Gabby & Pandy Paws from DreamWorks Animation's hit series,
Gabby's Dollhouse.
The 99
th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air Thursday, Nov. 27 at 8:30 a.m. ET (in all time zones) in the U.S. on NBC and stream on Peacock. Check local listings for details. For more information, visit
macys.com/parade. To follow and participate in the excitement, check out @macys on various social platforms and follow #MacysParade.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will celebrate its 100th march in 2026, continuing a tradition that has brought joy and lasting memories to generations worldwide. Although it began in 1924, the Parade was canceled in 1942, 1943 and 1944 due to World War II. During that time, materials that would have been used in the celebration, including rubber, were dedicated to the war effort.
Ahead of the 100th march in November 2026, iconic Macy's Parade elements from its storied history will return to the streets of Manhattan for this year's celebration. The talented team at Macy's Studios will reintroduce and reimagine beloved balloon elements from some of the Parade's earliest marches delighting fans of all ages, including Rainbow and Greybow Trouts, the Happy Hippo Triple Stack, Wigglefoot, and Freida the Dachshund by Macy's in partnership with The Farmer's Dog. A unique new float element, in collaboration with Goldfish, will also join this year's lineup.
Find out more about Nickelodeon's balloons and floats in the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade below!
SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary
Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants
This optimistic sea sponge is all smiles as he returns for his 21st appearance ready for some F.U.N. with his pet snail Gary before he sets off on a deep-sea theatrical adventure to the underworld in The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants this Christmas.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 44 feet tall or as high as a 4-story building
- 46 feet long or as long as 6 bicycles
- 36 feet wide or as wide as 6 taxicabs
FUN FACT
This is SpongeBob’s third balloon in the Parade; he made his first appearance in 2004 and was redesigned for his second balloon in 2013. SpongeBob was also the first square balloon in the Parade.
Marshall from PAW Patrol
NICKELODEON
Marshall the Dalmatian of PAW Patrol is excited to rejoin the line of march this November. As Adventure Bay’s resident firedog, he bravely extinguishes flames and uses his ladder to rescue those in need. Full of heart, Marshall is “fired up” and prepared for his first Parade appearance.
FUN FACT
- Marshall is twice the size of a standard New York City Fire Department firetruck.
Dora’s Fantastical Rainforest
Dora-Nickelodeon
Exciting discoveries await Dora Dora and her best friend Boots as she returns to the Macy’s Parade. Accompanied by her reliable map and backpack, Dora is prepared to navigate the tropical terrain and New York City streets while keeping her eyes and ears peeled for Swiper the mischievous fox.
Performer: Luísa Sonza
Luísa Sonza is a powerhouse Brazilian pop star with over 5 billion streams and a rapidly expanding global fanbase. Her 2023 album, Escândalo Íntimo, accumulated over a billion streams and topped the Spotify Brazil chart, featuring the hit "Penhasco 2" with Demi Lovato. A three-times Grammy Latino nominee, Luísa is a critical and commercial success. Boasting collaborations with Joe Jonas, Katy Perry, and Mariah Carey, performances at major festivals like Lollapalooza and Rock in Rio, and over 70 million social followers, she is a leading and undeniable force in Latin pop.
World of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
NICKELODEON/PARAMOUNT
The fan-favorite, pizza-loving Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will emerge once again from the sewers onto the streets of the Big Apple, inspired by the new series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, now streaming exclusively on Paramount+.
FUN FACT
- This action-packed float has 11 hidden hinges to help make it compact enough to fit through the Lincoln Tunnel en route to the Parade.
Performer: Busta Rhymes
Trailblazer Busta Rhymes has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, earned 12 Grammy nominations, and landed seven Top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200. After launching his career as a founding member of the Leaders of the New School, he burst onto the national scene with a distinctive vocal style, kinetic stage presence, and visually groundbreaking music videos that helped redefine the genre. Classics like “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See,” “Break Ya Neck,” and “Touch It” cemented his status as one of hip-hop’s most versatile MCs and electrifying performers. Now, as he prepares for the release of his next full-length album Vengeance, he’s set to continue his legacy of sonic evolution and lyrical domination.
Gabby & Pandy Paws
Gabby’s Dollhouse/Universal Pictures’ Dreamworks Animation
Gabby, the star of the hugely popular Gabby’s Dollhouse series from DreamWorks Animation, returns to the Macy’s Parade! With the help of her magic cat ears and her best friend Pandy Paws, Gabby shrinks down inside her dollhouse to go on cat-tastic adventures filled with surprises, paw-some music, crafts and more. Her adventures are just getting started, with an a-meow-zing new feature film in theaters now.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 55.5 feet tall or as high as a 5-story building
- 36 feet long or as long as 5 bicycles
- 66.5 feet wide or as wide as 10 taxicabs
FUN FACT
- The Gabby & Pandy balloon are painted with more than 25 colors!
Stream a Mountain of Entertainment, including your Nickelodeon favorites on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!
Originally published: October 30, 2025.
La Selva Fantástica de DORA
