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This Thanksgiving, the Upside Down is headed uptown. Stranger Things will join the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with a brand-new float that brings Hawkins, Indiana—tentacles, supernatural storm clouds and one very cranky demogorgon—to midtown Manhattan.
Titled “Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things,” the float injects a dose of eerie dimension-hopping drama into the lineup of Broadway casts, giant balloons and high-kicking marching bands. Netflix says the installation will “thrill audiences on the streets of New York and across America as a demogorgon creates chaos along the parade route.” Consider it a festive reminder that sometimes you need more than stuffing and a stretchy waistband. You might also need telekinesis.
The float arrives just ahead of the show’s final chapter. Season five drops in three bursts: four episodes on November 26, three on Christmas Day and a finale on New Year’s Eve. Nearly a decade after its debut, the series is closing out the era of banana-seat bikes, Eggo hoarding, synth-wave dread and teens saving the world while grounded.
And because Hawkins kids never adventure alone, fans are invited to assemble, too. Netflix is rolling out global Stranger Things celebrations, including a self-guided bike ride in select U.S. cities that encourages riders to don their ’80s best and pedal like they're trying to outrun a Demogorgon (or gym class mile flashbacks). For those who prefer to fight evil from the couch, Surfer Boy Pizza will fuel watch parties during a global livestream of the world premiere.
The parade itself remains stacked with spectacle, alongside a few other fan-favorite debuts. This year’s lineup also includes Pop Mart’s Labubu and Mokoko, those delightfully fuzzy chaos gremlins who have somehow become holiday-icon adjacent.
Catch the Hawkins crew rolling down Sixth Avenue live on NBC or streaming on Peacock on Thursday, November 27. If Kate Bush suddenly starts playing somewhere between Columbus Circle and Herald Square, don’t worry. Just keep walking and, maybe, keep that Walkman close... just in case.