Joe Cool, Bluey among new balloons taking flight at Balloonfest ahead of 100th Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade

Forget the turkey — there’s a new dog in town this Thanksgiving.Seven new character balloons that will debut in the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade took flight Saturday in a test run in New Jersey — including Snoopy’s suave alter ego Joe Cool, who will bring his swagger to Gotham alongside his pal Woodstock.Joe Cool showed up to Balloonfest above MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, as part of the pack of new additions — which will join the over 100 inflatables in the iconic parade to mark its momentous centennial year delighting America on Thanksgiving morning.The cool canine is sporting black sunglasses, around 40 times as large as an actual pair of shades, and a red sweater in the gigantic ensemble — that will fly at 41.6 feet tall, 57 feet long, and 24.3 feet wide.“Every year, we’ve got the great challenge and task, a beautiful opportunity to introduce brand new characters into the parade.And the most important part of that process is ensuring that, at a moment’s notice, once that balloon takes flight, it’s immediately recognizable,” said Will Coss, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.“It has that impact, it’s the heartwarming, familiar character, and whether it’s someone you grew up with, or someone you love today, we want to make sure that each and every character has that special impact on our audience. The beloved Bluey, the Blue Heeler dog from the BBC animated preschool TV series, was also added this year, towering at 47.2 feet tall, 47 feet long and 27.8 feet wide.Taken from the “Bluey” episode “Christmas Swim,” he is donning a gold crown, inspired by the tradition of Christmas crackers, and according to the show’s website, the balloon is 31 times taller than a real Blue Heeler.Buckaroo Bob the Minion, from the “Despicable Me” franchise by Illumination, also makes his grand entrance this year — as a cowboy donning a red bandana and denim and riding a giant banana bronco.The massive...