Balloons on Parade!

November 28 will be the 100th time throngs of people line the streets of New York City to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They’ll see Shrek, Pac-Man, and other famous characters floating overhead. These giant balloons are the parade’s biggest attractions each year—literally!

But balloons weren’t in the first few parades. Instead, live animals from the Central Park Zoo—including bears, elephants, and camels—marched down the streets! Macy’s department store put on its first parade in 1924 to boost sales around the holidays. Since then, it’s been held every year except 1942, 1943, and 1944, when it was canceled because of World War II.

On November 28, people will line the streets of New York City. They’ll be there to watch the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They’ll see Shrek, Pac-Man, and other famous characters floating above them. These giant balloons are the parade’s biggest attractions each year!

But balloons weren’t in the first few parades. Instead, live animals from the Central Park Zoo marched down the streets! Macy’s department store put on its first parade in 1924. The idea was to boost sales around the holidays. Since then, the parade has been held every year—except for three. In 1942, 1943, and 1944, it was canceled because of World War II.

In 1927, Felix the Cat was the first character balloon to join the parade. Since then, balloons have grown in both size and number. More than 270 have floated down the streets in the past century. For more than 20 years, Julio Bolivar has been a volunteer balloon holder. “As a New Yorker, I think the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the most special days our city has,” he says. “Being able to share that with the rest of the country is a wonderful gift.”

The first character balloon to join the parade was Felix the Cat. He made his appearance in 1927. Since then, balloons have grown in both size and number. More than 270 in all have floated down the streets. Julio Bolivar has been a volunteer balloon holder for more than 20 years. “I think the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the most special days our city has,” he says.

Find the volume of the balloons below. Use 3.14 for π and round answers to the nearest tenth. Record your work and answers on the Your Turn sheet.

Find the volume of the balloons below. Use 3.14 for π and round answers to the nearest tenth. Record your work and answers on the Your Turn sheet.

Felix the Cat
In 1927, this was the first character balloon to march in the parade. It was filled with air, so it didn’t float. But the next year, organizers upgraded the balloons with helium and released them after the parade. Anyone who found one could claim a $100 reward! In this version from 1932, Felix the Cat is being carried on stilts. His head was a sphere with a radius of about 3 feet. Find the volume of his head.

Shrek
The giant green ogre debuted in 2007 as a solo character balloon. But for 2025, Shrek got a redesign and now rides in his onion carriage—along with Donkey, Fiona, the triplets, the Gingerbread Man, and Pinocchio. It’s the most characters on a single balloon! The onion carriage is roughly a sphere with a radius of 15 feet. What’s the volume of Shrek’s onion carriage?

Pac-Man
A. To celebrate his 45th anniversary, the classic arcade game character Pac-Man joined the parade in 2025. Pac-Man’s body is a sphere with a radius of about 17.5 feet. Find its volume

B. Pac-Man is carrying two cherries—a fruit he collects in the game. The radius of each spherical cherry is about 3.25 feet. What’s the volume of both cherries combined?