Once again, Pikachu and Eevee of Pokemon fame will fly above Manhattan as part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in a massive balloon. Nintendo’s famous monster-wrangling RPG series has been a staple of pop culture since it first took the world by storm in the late 90s, as evidenced by Pokemon’s presence in the annual Macy’s parade starting in 2001. The Macy’s parade is host to many musical performances and fun floats, with some even being inspired by popular video games like Sonic the Hedgehog.

Macy’s Pokemon balloons have taken on many different forms over the years, with the first few simply being a giant, inflatable version of series mascot Pikachu being flown by a custom Volkswagen Beetle named the “Pokemobile.” In later years, Pikachu would be featured alongside the Pokemon franchise's signature PokeBall, statues of legendary Pokemon like Reshiram and Zekrom, a cute snowman version of Pikachu, and eventually its fellow Pokemon mascot Eevee. The Pikachu and Eevee Pokemon Macy’s parade float was flown during last year’s event, riding on a Poke Ball-themed sleigh to celebrate the then-impending release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Related

Pokemon Fan Transforms Mew Into a More Realistic Cat

One talented Pokemon fan artist shares their design of Mew looking and acting more like an actual cat, complete with a unique TCG card.

Much to the delight of Pokemon fans around the world, Pikachu and Eevee are coming back to this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Pokemon Macy’s parade float will once again depict Pikachu and Eevee soaring above Manhattan on their Poke Ball-inspired sled as it moves along the parade route, eventually arriving at Macy’s Herald Square. Taito Okiura, vice president of marketing at The Pokemon Company International, expressed his excitement at seeing Pokemon return to the Macy’s parade for the 23rd consecutive year, saying that The Pokemon Company is honored to be included once again in 2023.

When and Where to Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade:

• Day: November 23, 2023
• Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Channel: NBC, Streaming on Peacock

The past few years have been a pretty exciting time for the Pokemon franchise thanks to the launch of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet last year and the continuing success of Pokemon GO. 2023 has continued this momentum with the release of Scarlet and Violet’s The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Part 1: The Teal Mask DLC, which takes players to a new setting named Kitakami to search for new legendary Pokemon. The ever-popular Pokemon Trading Card Game is also expanding with new packs based on Scarlet and Violet, and the Detective Pikachu Returns spin-off was released on the Nintendo Switch a few weeks ago.

All this Pokemon news is being capped off by Pikachu and Eevee’s triumphant return at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade later this month, in which the two Pokemon will be flown above the bustling New York City streets as part of the annual Holiday season tradition. Viewers will be able to see the Pokemon float and many other attractions by tuning in to the Macy’s parade on NBC and Peacock on November 23.

Pokemon

Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.