15 Times The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Didn't Go According To Plan

This Thanksgiving, we pay tribute to our fallen balloons, floats, and performers over the years. Oof, that sounded grim. To be clear, no Macy’s parade performers have “fallen” in the death sense of the word. A beastly gust of wind may have caused them to fall during a performance, but these instances were definitely more humorous than life-threatening.

Balloons, on the other hand… Some balloons died some pretty gruesome deaths in front of the entire nation on live TV. Not the most honorable way to go. Coupled with the fact that they’re usually balloons of the most adored characters of all time, we’re guessing that these Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade moments had kids crying and possibly even upchucking grandma's famous stuffing.

15 Barney’s Fatal Gash

In 1997, high winds ripped the giant Barney balloon to pieces. Police officers had to tackle it and stab it open, so that it wouldn’t drag people off.

14 Critically Injured By The Cat in the Hat

Macy's Wiki

In 1997, just after Barney’s death, Cat in the Hat slammed into a streetlamp, and a large piece of fallen metal put a woman in a month-long coma. She filed a $395 million lawsuit against Macy's, New York City, and the lamppost's manufacturer and settled for an undisclosed sum in 2001.

13 Sonic The Hedgehog Knocked Out a Cop

In 1993, Sonic was caught by a gust of wind and crashed into a lamppost. Debris from the accident caused minor injuries for a 10-year-old girl and a chunk of the post hit an NYPD officer, knocking him out cold.

12 The M&M’s Balloon Caused a Glass Shower

In 2005, the giant M&M’s balloon hit a streetlight in Times Square. The accident showered broken glass onto spectators and sent two sisters to the hospital for cuts and bruises.

11 A Plane Hit The Tom Cat Balloon

Way back in 1932, Macy’s offered reward money to whoever retrieved and returned their loose balloons. A 22-year-old pilot spotted the 60-foot Tom Cat balloon floating nearby, flew into it, and that nearly brought her plane down. Her flight instructor was able to regain control of the aircraft, and Macy’s decided to officially end its tradition of releasing balloons.

10 Superman Deflated

YouTube

In 1986, Superman clipped a tree branch, suffered punctures in his head and leg, and deflated mid-route. His tangled cape was an upsetting sight for kids everywhere.

9 The Popeye Balloon Punched a Woman

Macy's Wiki

In 1957, the Popeye balloon’s forearm was filled with water (a common balloon-stabilizing technique at the time), and swung down to hit a woman after being taken by the wind. She was knocked down but luckily not seriously injured.

8 The Felix the Cat Fire

Macy's Wiki

In 1931, the Felix the Cat balloon got caught in high-tension wires and burst into flames. It was one of the earliest mishaps in parade history.

7 Keith Haring’s Balloon

Erik C. Pendzich/REX/Shutterstock

In 2008, Macy’s debuted a balloon inspired by the art of Keith Haring, and the 48-foot-tall balloon bumped into the booth where Al Roker, Meredith Viera, and Matt Lauer were covering the parade. It startled the three Today show anchors and briefly disrupted the program.

6 Rita Ora’s Backing Track

In 2018, Rita Ora’s vocal track fell out of sync by nearly a full second. Twitter roasted her relentlessly until John Legend stepped in to explain that the parade requires live lip-syncing due to audio constraints.

5 Buzz Lightyear Wreaked Havoc

In 2013, a Long Island teacher named Keri O’Connell, who was helping as a rope‑holder for the Buzz Lightyear balloon, had her foot run over by a golf cart that was part of the balloon’s support entourage. She was taken to Roosevelt Hospital after the incident

4 Celebrity Trailers Destroyed in A Fire

YouTube

In 2022, days before the parade, a fire in New Jersey destroyed seven buses and trailers meant to be used by celebrity performers (including Mariah Carey).

3 Balloons Grounded Entirely

In 1971, severe winds kept balloons like Donald Duck, Snoopy, Linus, and Smokey the Bear grounded. It was the first time since the helium shortage of World War II that giant balloons weren’t parade participants.

2 The Back-Cracker

In 2019, a parade worker was knocked to the ground by the Nutcracker float when its handlers lost control of the 45-foot inflatable soldier amid poor weather conditions.

1 Mickey Mouse Exploded

“Mickey Mouse is dead,” Ken Maddock — the Macy’s employee who had overseen the balloon for 15 years — told the New York Times ahead of the 1983 parade. “When the workers unpacked him, they tore his arm off, and when they went to inflate him, he blew up.”

View Original Article