Thanksgiving Parade Warehouse
One of the most cherished traditions of Thanksgiving is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. From the first Tom Turkey balloon, to the fabulous Rockettes, to Santa’s magical sleigh, it’s enjoyed by over 50 million viewers.
The three-hour spectacle, held in Manhattan, first took place in 1924 and has been televised nationally since 1953. The parade’s workforce consists of Macy’s employees and their friends and family, all of whom are volunteers.
This year, the 96th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, will include 16 giant balloons, 28 floats, over 700 clowns, 12 marching bands, 10 performance groups and the usual assortment of Broadway shows and musical stars. More than 5,000 volunteers provide their time and talents to create the magical experience that people have enjoyed for decades.
If you feel overwhelmed preparing a couple of rooms of furniture for self storage at one of our My Storage Plus locations, think about the effort that goes into storing 28 floats and 16 giant balloons. Even with drive-up access that would be a problem. Add a plethora of smaller balloons and specialty items and you’ve got an unimaginable task.
Speaking of self storage, did you ever wonder where these things are stored for the other 364 days of the year? Let’s take a peek.
Inside Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Warehouse
The Macy’s Parade Warehouse has been located in Moonachie, New Jersey for about ten years. Prior to that time, it was located in Hoboken, NJ. This 180,000 ft. warehouse is where the magic happens.
Thousands of volunteers work around the clock 365 days a year, logging in about 8,000 hours, to meet a tight Thanksgiving deadline. Painters, carpenters, animators, sculptors, welders, electricians, engineers and costume designers provide the talent needed to get the job done.
When the floats and balloons are ready to go and all of the other elements of the parade are complete, everything is struck down and packed. A caravan of 75 trucks drives everything through the Lincoln Tunnel and on to Manhattan.
The parade, led by Tom Turkey, begins at Central Park West and 77th Street and finishes at Macy’s flagship store on 34th St. and Sixth Ave. As always, Tom Turkey is the first to leave Central Park West and 77th Street. Tom, the parade’s oldest balloon has been at every parade since the early 1970s.
Following Tom, the parade is a spellbinding showcase of floats, bands, performers, and, of course, balloons. Finally, Santa’s arrival marks the end of the parade and heralds the beginning of the Christmas season.
According to Rick Pomer, creative director of branded entertainment at Macy’s “We don’t really have a grand marshal, and we just haven’t seen that as being the parade. It is not about one person. It’s about everyone.”
Now that you know about storage for the parade and how everyone works together to put on this fabulous event, here are some fun facts to talk about during your Thanksgiving festivities.
Seven Fun Facts About the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Live Animals
The first years of the parade, specifically 1924 to 1926 saw handlers marching with animals from the Central Park Zoo. Elephants, donkeys, tigers, camels, and bears were paraded through the streets wearing Macy’s promotional pennants. In 1927, the creatures were replaced with oversized balloon versions because the animals frightened the children.
Snoopy is a Parade Favorite
Who doesn’t love Snoopy!? This adorable canine has appeared more times in the parade than any other character–a total of 40 since 1968.
Free Floating Balloons
From 1927 until 1932, handlers had no plans to deflate balloons at the end of the parade. They would just let them fly away. However, in the first year of this airborne release, the balloons quickly popped. Eventually, the balloons were redesigned to withstand higher altitudes. When they eventually fell to the ground, people could return them to Macy’s for a $100 reward.
A Close Call with a Cat
In 1932, an aviation student rammed his plane into the neck of a floating tom-cat balloon. The balloon got caught on the wing, sending the plane careening toward the earth. Fortunately, the instructor was able to control the plane, averting a disaster. As you can imagine, this put an end to the free-floating balloons.
The #2 Consumer of Helium
Those huge balloons take about 12,000 cubic feet of helium to become fully inflated. Macy’s has the world’s second largest reserve of helium, second only to the U.S. government.
Inflation Takes Longer than Deflation
It takes about 90 minutes to inflate these large balloons. On the other hand, it takes only 15 minutes to deflate them. This is thanks to strategically placed deflation vents and handlers who are willing to lay down and roll on them to speed up the process.
A Patriotic Donation During World War II
The parade was canceled for good reason during World War II. Macy’s deflated the balloons and patriotically donated 650 total pounds of rubber to the war effort.
Summary
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade might just be one of the most beloved traditions of the holiday. From live animals to broadway productions, this extravagant parade has come a long way. We hope you enjoyed exploring the storage warehouse, looking back on parade beginnings, and learning some intriguing facts, and enjoy the iconic celebration that the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is today.
