Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Tom Turkey by Macy's appears during 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Every Thanksgiving, millions of viewers across the U.S.
tune in to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade—a spectacle of larger-than-life balloons, fantastical floats, marching bands, and, of course, Santa Claus's grand entrance. But behind the scenes, a team of creatives puts in an incredible amount of work to make it all happen. Let's dive into the astonishing numbers, the unexpected challenges, and the glitter-filled magic that goes into making this parade a true holiday marvel.
18 Months of Planning, Thousands of Hours in the Making Think it's just a few weeks of planning? Think again. According to Will Coss, Executive Producer of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, "At Macy's Studios, our talented team of about 60 artisans and production specialists dedicate thousands of hours of work year-round to create the incredible Parade elements." With an 18-month production timeline, the team begins preparing even before last year's decorations are stored away.
On parade day, all this effort unfolds with 17 character balloons, 22 floats, 15 heritage, and novelty balloons, more than 700 clowns, 11 marching bands, 10 performance groups, and music's biggest stars. Over 5,000 volunteers make sure every inch of the 2.5-mile route shines with holiday cheer.
Compacting Floats to Fit Through the Lincoln Tunnel: A Parade Puzzle One of the most mind-bending aspects of.
