Just like a parade, this rumor is a long walk.
Who doesn’t love a parade? Me. I don’t. But I do love the weird touchpoint that is massive balloons of cartoon characters, and while Sonic had a history of joining the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, he’s been absent since 2013.
But now he’s back! Sorta. Maybe.
Initial reports of the balloon returning originated from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki on Fandom.com, a fan-run wiki documenting the history of the event. The Wiki itself references a 5-second Instagram video of the balloon in its citation.
The video itself shows the Sonic balloon being inflated in a warehouse of other balloons and balloon models, while three people walk nearby. Two of the three people are visibly wearing medical masks. Among the unpainted balloon models in the background is Goku, who first appeared in the 2018 parade.
While these details do suggest the video is much more recent than his 2013 appearance, it should obviously not be taken as a confirmation that Sonic is being used this year. Neither Macy’s nor SEGA have officially confirmed Sonic’s presence at the parade, and a single Instagram video without context isn’t definitive. If true, however, this does align with the Sonic 30th anniversary, placing the event between a remaster of a popular game, and the movie, cartoon, and game releases of 2022.
The 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is set to run on Thursday Nov. 25. Official parade announcements can be found on the parade’s website.
Thanks to Bulbasquirtle for the tip!
Keep an eye on the weather forecasts for that day. We don’t want the Sonic balloon to meet the same fate as his Classic counterpart if this is true. Lamppost goes POP!