Though the balloon experienced an accident, the Sega Pico Bus, which was meant to accompany the balloon, was able to make it to 34th Street unscathed. Akin to his previous failed appearance, archival footage was shown on NBC's Parade telecast in lieu of a live appearance, now borrowed from his 1994 flight down Broadway. The balloon was able to fly for a short amount of time after the incident, however it was eventually pulled from the line of march shortly after passing through Columbus Circle. Sonic the Hedgehog was one of the latter, as gusts caused the balloon's 30-foot head to collide with a tree, tearing a hole open upon impact. As a result, several balloons were damaged or removed entirely due to the fierce gusts. The Sonic the Hedgehog balloon returned to the line of march once again in the 1994 Parade, now leading the fleet of giant balloons with the help of his 21-foot long red sneakers. Chris Lash, a member of Pennsylvania's “Groundhog Club” noted the crowd’s excitement of the balloon's appearance, saying “Weeks ago when this was announced, people literally cancelled vacations that they were going to take, so that they could be here to see the Sonic the Hedgehog balloon and be able to play the game for the first time in the world”. On February 2nd, 1994, also known as “Groundhog Day”, the feisty blue hedgehog balloon soared above the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, at the world premiere event for the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 video game. The balloon was returned to the Macy's Parade Studio, where it was quickly fixed by a team of experienced balloonatics for his next flight. The Sonic balloon was quickly deflated and removed from the line of march, with archival footage from the balloon’s test flight being used for its appearance on the NBC Parade telecast. A 10-year old girl was also injured, however both were released that same day without any serious injuries. “He smashed into the lamp post, broke the lamp post, and a large part of the lamp went and, it looked like it smacked this fella on the back”. Mike Goldenthal, who witnessed the incident from his apartment window, explained in an interview what had happened. The falling debris hit an off-duty police officer from Suffolk County on his back. The gust caused the balloon to be speared in the left eye, with the impact tearing open the balloon and sending the light portion of the streetlight into the crowd below. ![]() The balloon passed through Columbus Circle, and upon arriving on Broadway, it was sent flying into a lamp post by a heavy gust of wind. The balloon wobbled in the wind all the way along Central Park West, but was able to maintain its composure thanks to its team of husky handlers. Shortly after the Sonic the Hedgehog balloon left its starting point at 77th Street and Central Park West, the balloon veered into a tree on the sidelines, causing its left arm and spike to be spared of their helium. Hopes were high for the debut of the Sonic balloon, however troublesome winds proved problematic for the Parade's lineup of signature helium balloons. ![]() Although the balloon sprang a leak shortly before starting his flight, the error was patched up and the video game superstar filled the sky, much to the delight of his fans. The balloon made its first public appearance at the first-ever Macy's BalloonFest, which welcomed guests to see the trial flights of that year's newest giant character balloons, which included the likes of Beethoven the Dog, Rex from We're Back!, Izzy, and the hedgemiester of Sega, Sonic the Hedgehog. The balloon also required a record amount of helium to be inflated, at 18,900 cubic feet. Upon making his debut, Sonic the Hedgehog was the first-ever video game character to appear in the Parade, and was the only character to hold the title until the debut of the Pikachu balloon in 2001. The balloon featured Sonic himself speeding down the Parade route with three rows of bodacious blue quills running up and down his back, red-hot sneakers and an attitude bigger than a sonic boom. Macy's and Sega partnered to create a six-story tall helium balloon of the video game character. The character was first represented in the Parade in 1993, at the height of the character's initial popularity. Sonic the Hedgehog has a storied history with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade dating back more than three decades, and is perhaps one of the most infamous balloon characters to appear in the procession. History with the Macy's Parade Sonic the Hedgehog (1993-1997)
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