November 28, 2002 – The New Kermit the Frog Balloon Premieres at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
“Hi ho! Kermit the Frog here!”
On November 28, 2002, the 76th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in New York City. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Muppet Show, a new balloon featuring Kermit the Frog was unveiled; this marks the return of Kermit after a 12-year absence from the parade. This was two years before Disney would officially acquire the Muppets in a deal that originally began in 1989. For this parade, Kermit was also named as the official mascot.