Starting November 10, Sinclair Oil Corporation began its yearlong centennial celebration on the road. Sinclair’s iconic green dinosaur, Dino, leads the charge, stopping in towns and cities along the way from California to New York. The cross-country journey culminates at the 90th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® in New York City on Thursday, November 24.

“We’ve had a big year, beginning with our return to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade last year,” said Ross Matthews, Chairman and CEO of Sinclair Oil Corporation. “The past 12 months have been filled with celebrating our history and thanking the many people who have helped us stand the test of time: our customers, station owners, distributors and employees. We are excited about continuing to fuel America’s journeys, bringing Sinclair to many more people in the years to come.”

In 1916, Harry F. Sinclair formed Sinclair Oil Corporation from the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. By the late 1920s, it was the seventh largest oil company in the United States. Today, Sinclair is among the oldest continuous names in the oil business, and Dino (pronounced “DIE-no”), the green dinosaur, is one of the most recognized icons in America.

During the two weeks starting on November 10 and ending on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, Sinclair team members will drive Dino across America in full display. The 75-pound, 12-foot-long, 3-foot-wide, 6-foot-tall fiberglass likeness of Dino, the Apatosaurus, will be hard to miss.

Friends and fans are encouraged to look for Dino on his journey and are invited to join in the festivities at participating Sinclair stations. Visitors will have an opportunity to take selfies with Dino and enter to win the drawing for a free trip to New York City in 2017. Random selections of selfie photos with Dino will appear on the Sony digital screen in Times Square on Thanksgiving Day.

“Dino’s Sinclair escorts will tweet throughout the journey using #DINO2NYC as they see our friends on the road,” said Matthews. “Be sure to drive alongside and honk and wave.” Visit www.dino2nyc.com to see the photos.

Dino and his team has stopped or will stop at these Sinclair stations during the two weeks:

November 10—384 W. Shaw Ave., Fresno, California, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
November 11—4885 W. Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
November 14—10419 S. 4000 West St., South Jordan, Utah, 3 – 6 p.m.
November 16—2800 W. Lincolnway, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
November 17—6001 Cornhusker Highway, Lincoln, Nebraska, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
November 18—4901 NW Old Pike Road, Kansas City, Missouri, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
November 19—3801 U.S. Hwy. 41 North, Henderson, Kentucky, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
November 21—341 Route 46 East, Budd Lake, New Jersey, 2 – 5 p.m.
November 24—New York City, 9 a.m. – noon

More than 3.5 million people in New York and more than 50 million television viewers will watch the legendary Sinclair Dino soar over the streets of New York City during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Dino, a fan favorite since the late 1960s and 1970s, is the only life-size balloon in the parade. This year marks his fifteenth appearance. Other Dino balloon fun facts include:

  • Measuring 72 feet long, 24 feet wide and 36 feet tall, the balloon is the actual size of an Apatosaurus.
  • The Dino balloon requires approximately 70 balloon handlers to fly him down the 2.5-mile route in NYC.
  • To give Dino his unique color, 50 gallons of green paint were used.
  • Sinclair Oil’s Dino first appeared in the 1963 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and remained a fan favorite every year until 1976.
  • In 1975, the Sinclair dinosaur balloon was so popular he became an honorary member of the Museum of Natural History.

The 90th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide Thursday, November 24, on NBC from 9 a.m. to noon in all time zones. The Sinclair Oil sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Macy’s or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.