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Here's how the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is brought to life

The Dora the Explorer balloon gets pumped up for a flight over the streets of New York City in the 98th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Barry Gordemer
/
NPR
The Dora the Explorer balloon gets pumped up for a flight over the streets of New York City in the 98th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Thanksgiving comes only once a year. But for the artists and engineers who create the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thanksgiving is a year-round occupation and obsession.

The parade takes a small army of sculptors, painters, seamstresses, carpenters and welders to put together the giant balloons, floats and elaborate costumes.

The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place a century ago in 1924. But this year's parade is actually the 98th edition, since the parade was canceled during World War II.

About 3.5 million spectators will line the streets of New York City to view the parade in person. Another 30 million will watch the parade live on TV. Macy's won't comment on how much it costs to produce the parade, saying only that it's "a gift to the nation." Still, some estimates put the price tag at around $13 million.

The Macy's Studio paint room provides an explosion of color for the Thanksgiving parade floats and balloons.
Barry Gordemer / NPR
/
NPR
The Macy's Studio paint room provides an explosion of color for the Thanksgiving parade floats and balloons.

Long before the parade marches its way through Manhattan, prep work takes place in a massive warehouse in New Jersey known as the Macy's Studio. NPR's Morning Edition visited for a behind-the-scenes look at how the holiday tradition comes together. The warehouse is a bland brick building on the outside that explodes in color on the inside.

"It does sometimes feel like when I come to work that I'm going to an amusement park," said Kathleen Wright, the director of production operations for Macy's Studio.

Wednesday Addams and her brother, Pugsley, are three stories tall. They have to be collapsed down so this float can fit through the Lincoln Tunnel and be transported to the parade starting line in New York City.
Barry Gordemer / NPR
/
NPR
Wednesday Addams and her brother, Pugsley, are three stories tall. They have to be collapsed down so this float can fit through the Lincoln Tunnel and be transported to the parade starting line in New York City.

Just inside the main entrance of the warehouse is a float decked out in brilliant shades of green, orange and purple. It features characters from Wednesday, the Addams Family spinoff series on Netflix. The float boasts giant sculptures of Wednesday Addams and her brother, Pugsley. They're approximately three stories tall. The floats not only have to look good, they also have to be engineered to come apart so they can be transported to the parade site.

"These need to collapse down and make their way through the Lincoln Tunnel, up through the streets of Manhattan, and up to the starting line of the parade, where they are reassembled," Wright said.

There are 26 floats this year, including one with a fire-breathing dragon. However, the floats aren't the star of the Macy's Thanksgiving show. The Macy's parade is best known for its giant cartoon-character balloons. Seventeen of these balloons will float above the streets of Manhattan this year, including balloons depicting Spider-Man, Dora the Explorer and Minnie Mouse. Minnie, despite her name, is the tallest of the balloons, topping out at about six stories.

Just how big is this Elf on the Shelf balloon? Look for Macy's Production Operations Director Kathleen Wright at the bottom of the photo.
Barry Gordemer / NPR
/
NPR
Just how big is this Elf on the Shelf balloon? Look for Macy's Production Operations Director Kathleen Wright at the bottom of the photo.

The first Macy's balloon was Felix the Cat in 1927. In the parade's early years, the balloons were released into the sky at the end of the parade. Anybody finding one could return it and receive a $50 gift certificate. The practice of releasing balloons ended in 1932.

It takes more than a half-million dollars' worth of helium to keep all the balloons airborne.

Wright's favorite parts of the parade preparations are the small details that very few people would notice.

"In the dark of night before Thanksgiving morning, we turn 2 1/2 miles of traffic lights flush to the sidewalk so that the balloons have a safe and clear path down to 34th Street from the starting line," she said. "We cannot wait to show everyone on Thanksgiving morning what we've been working on."

Copyright 2024 NPR

Barry Gordemer
Barry Gordemer is an award-winning producer, editor, and director for NPR's Morning Edition. He's helped produce and direct NPR coverage of two Persian Gulf wars, eight presidential elections, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. He's also produced numerous profiles of actors, musicians, and writers.