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Thanksgiving morning in New York is about to get a little more magical: Harry Potter will make its first-ever appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this fall.
Macy’s and HBO Max have unveiled a brand-new float inspired by the upcoming HBO Original series Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The elaborate creation will debut during the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 26, bringing Hogwarts (and presumably a few million delighted Potterheads) to the streets of Manhattan.
Rather than trying to squeeze the entire wizarding school onto a moving platform, the float will focus on one of its most recognizable spaces: Hogwarts’ Great Hall. The design is intended to evoke one of the hall’s grand holiday feasts, complete with the iconic Sorting Hat.
All four Hogwarts houses will be represented, so Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin loyalists can leave their rivalries at home. Oversized house banners, stained-glass-inspired details, sculpted topiaries and each house’s signature animal imagery will decorate the float, with the look drawing directly from the new HBO Max series.
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Fans will get an early glimpse before Thanksgiving. The float is scheduled to make its official public debut during a Macy’s Studio preview event on November 17, a little more than a week before it rolls through the city.
The magical addition joins what Macy’s says will be a record-breaking lineup of 100 inflatable elements created for the centennial march. The iconic retailer has already announced several other pieces of the anniversary spectacle, including a new Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey balloon, the return of Underdog and a float honoring Tony Sarg, the puppeteer whose creations helped shape the parade’s larger-than-life aesthetic.
The parade began in 1924 but is only reaching its 100th edition this year because it was suspended from 1942 through 1944 during World War II. On November 26, the landmark procession will once again travel its familiar 2.5-mile route from the Upper West Side to Macy’s Herald Square.
For anyone watching from the curb, consider this your reminder to choose your house colors carefully.