Yesterday, I looked at the several Hanna-Barbera Thanksgiving balloons we've seen over the years. Now, it's time to do the same for the floats focused on Hanna-Barbera properties. Hanna-Barbera and the Macy's Thanksgiving parade go way back, with characters like The Flintstones and The Banana Splits appearing as characters during several events, but it was in 1982 that Hanna-Barbera got not just their first float, but a second one as well. The first one was made to help promote the film Heidi's Song, a pretty obscure film from their history, and one of the few not based on existing Hanna-Barbera characters. The float, which appeared mere days after the film was released in theaters, featured some of the various characters that made up its cast. Below is an image of the float, although it's unfortunately a bit on the grainy side. After its 1982 debut, the float never appeared in any future parades.
The other float that debuted that year was based on The Flintstones, or to be more exact, The Flintmobile, Fred's mode of transportation. This float saw the Flintstones and the Rubbles driving in the vehicle, adorned with Santa hats and other Christmas decorations. This one was reprised for the 1983 parade, and then appeared a decade later in 1993, I'm guessing to help promote that year's Flintstones Christmas film. Below is a picture of it, but I do warn you: if you thought the Heidi's Song float photo was grainy, you ain't seen nothin' yet! And no, I don't know why Barney's driving Fred's van.
In 1984, the Flintstones float was retired for a time, and in its place came a Scooby-Doo float, made in commemoration of the franchise's 15th anniversary. And, if I'm being honest, I think this one falls a bit short. If it weren't for the Hanna-Barbera characters on it and the logo at the bottom, you'd have no idea it had anything to do with Scooby-Doo. That being said, it is genuinely cool to see characters like Hong Kong Phooey and The Snorks get some time to shine. And is that Captain Caveman I see in the back?
After the Flintstones float short comeback in '93, it would be nearly three decades until a Hanna-Barbera-themed float would appear in another parade. It was in 2020 when none other than Tom and Jerry got a float of their own, and it's easily the greatest one of them all. That's not too shocking suggesting the advancements in technology over the years, but they really did knock this one out of the park. This float featured great animatronics that brought the characters to life as perfectly as something like this could. It's a real shame this one was retired after only one appearance, but considering it was likely commissioned to tie into the 2021 feature film, I guess it's not too surprising. If you have the chance though, I highly recommend watching YouTube videos of this one in action. It sure is a sight to behold!
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