the Daily News (New York, NY) newspaper had a “Big Apple” float in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1977 until 2017 (except for the years 1990, 2000 and 2004). Three different floats were made.
 
The floats featured a big red apple and buildings from New York City’s skyline. Popular stars of Broadway, music, television and sports rode on top of the apple.
 
       
Wikipedia: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, the world’s largest parade, is presented by the U.S. based department store chain Macy’s. The parade started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit (with both parades being four years younger than Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade). The three-hour parade is held in Manhattan, ending outside Macy’s Herald Square, and takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thanksgiving Day, and has been televised nationally on NBC since 1953.
 
Wikipedia: New York Daily News
The New York Daily News, officially titled the Daily News, is an American newspaper based in New York City. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the Illustrated Daily News. It was the first U.S. daily printed in tabloid format. It reached its peak circulation in 1947, at 2.4 million copies a day. As of 2019 it was the eleventh-highest circulated newspaper in the United States.
   
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki
New York Daily News
(...)
Big Apple
Years 1977-1981
Sponsor The New York Daily News
Type Falloon
(...)
Big Apple
Years 1982-1989, 1991-1999, 2001-2003
Sponsor The New York Daily News
Designer Manfred Bass
Type Float
(...)
Big Apple
Years 2005-2017
Sponsor The New York Daily News
Designer Joel Naprstek
Type Falloon
 
Newspapers.com
23 November 1977, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 9 ad:
BIG APPLE float with
ANDREA McARDLE
 
Newspapers.com
24 November 1978, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 4, col. 2 photo caption:
Bucky Dent rides atop the big apple on the Daily News float.
 
Newspapers.com
23 November 1979, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 7, col. 2 photo caption:
Singer Diana Ross greets holiday crowd at the parade from atop the Daily News’ Big Apple float.
 
Newspapers.com
29 November 1985, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 62, col. 2 photo caption:
PHILIP MICHAEL THOMAS, star of “Miami Vice,” rides Daily News’ Big Apple float ...
 
Newspapers.com
27 November 1987, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 52, col. 1 photo caption:
The parade wouldn’t be complete without Daily News Big Apple float (below) skippered this year by Phylicia Rashad.
 
Newspapers.com
18 November 2001, Daily News (New York, NY), advertising supplement, pg. 13, col. 1 photo caption:
DIANA ROSS rides the aily News’ Big Apple float in 1979.
 
Newspapers.com
30 November 2003, Daily News (New York, NY), Metro sec., pg. 3, col. 1 photo caption:
Susie Castillo, Miss USA, graces Big Apple float in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on Thursday. Also earning his stripes on the Daily News-sponsored float was star New York Yankees outfielder Bernie WIlliams.
 
Newspapers.com
23 November 2007, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 2, cols. 1-2 photo caption:
... and pop group Menudo, on Daily News Big Apple float.
 
Newspapers.com
25 November 2011, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 2, col. 2 photo caption:
Mary J. Blige rides Daily News Big Apple holiday parade float.
 
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23 November 2012, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 4, col. 2 photo caption:
Flo Rida (top, inset) waves from the Daily News’ Big Apple float as it comes down Central Park West. The rap star broke into his hit “I Cry” and said the float ride was “very special.”
 
Newspapers.com
29 November 2013, Daily News (New York, NY), “Macy’s Thanksgiving Magic,” pg. 2, col. 2 (col. 3 photo):
Retired NFL stars Bart Oates, Joe Namath, Amani Toomer and Hines Ward rode the 30-foot Daily News Big Apple Float featuring an oversized apple and Empire State Building.
 
Newspapers.com
28 November 2014, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 13, col. 1 photo caption:
Insert right, singer-songwriter Romeo Santos on the Daily News Big Apple float.
 
Newspapers.com
24 November 2017, Daily News (New York, NY), pg. 4, col. 2 photo caption:
Below, Bebe Rexha sings to the crowd from atop the New York Daily News float.