The infamous Sonic balloon may return to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The inflatable hedgehog, noteworthy for deflating during its debut event, may fly once again this year.
In a rumor that will probably delight most Sonic fans and increase the blood pressure of most parade fans, the infamous Sonic the Hedgehog balloon may be returning to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade after a seven-year absence. SEGA’s beloved mascot originally flew above the streets of New York in 1993, appearing in three of the next four parades before SEGA dropped it. Now, it seems that Sonic might grace (or terrorize, depending on your viewpoint) the famous Macy’s parade once again.
The rumor comes from an Instagram post by an intern working on the balloon, showing it partially inflated. It would tie into Sonic’s 30th anniversary this year, making it the perfect time to bring this iconic balloon back.
Neither Macy’s nor SEGA has confirmed the rumors yet, but if true, it will be incredible to watch Sonic take flight in the parade again. Mostly because we’re excited to see if it will crash into something.
[UPDATE: SEGA has officially confirmed that the Sonic balloon will be returning!]
A brief and bloody history of the Sonic Macy’s Parade balloon
SEGA of America originally commissioned the Sonic balloon for the 1993 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It flew in each event for the next four years except for in 1997, where event officials deemed the balloon too unsafe to fly due to high winds. (He did appear in the televised event via reused footage.) It was even the opening balloon of the 1994 parade — a high honor indeed. SEGA retired the balloon after 1997, but it came back with a new design in 2011 for Sonic’s 20th anniversary. This design flew for three years before Sonic again disappeared after the 2013 Macy’s Parade.
Sonic was the first balloon based on a video game character to fly at the event; later events would add a Pikachu balloon and even one depicting Red from Angry Birds. Yet the balloon was an instant hit due to both Sonic’s major popularity and the balloon’s accident on its debut day.
During the 1993 parade, the Sonic balloon accidentally ran into a lamppost, puncturing Sonic’s eye. The inflatable hedgehog deflated and fell into the streets, landing on a police officer and young child. Thankfully, the two both survived with only minor injuries.
You can view that incident below courtesy of archival footage from ABC7 New York. Be warned: it contains graphic images of polyurethane violence.
This wasn’t the only disaster that befell the Sonic balloon during its history in the Macy’s Parade. On the morning of the 1995 parade, the balloon ran into another lamppost and as a tree, deflating again. Because of this, the event organizers had to reuse footage of its 1994 flight for the televised event.
Sonic is far from the first balloon that has been destroyed during the parade due to the winds and temperatures of New York in November. We’re hopeful that all involved will ensure that Sonic flies safely this year. Still, the image of a giant, inflatable Sonic crashing into the ground during one of our biggest Thanksgiving traditions will never escape our minds.
Via Nintendo Life.
