MACY'S Balloons

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the most beloved of all New York’s holiday events.  If there excitement is more than you can bear, worry not!  The great news is you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to get a sneak peak at the parade balloons!  You can see them being inflated on Thanksgiving Eve.

On Wednesday November 27, 3-10 p.m. on Columbus Avenue and 79^th Street, “Balloon Inflation” will take place.  Thousands of New Yorkers will crowd around Columbus Avenue watching their favorite animated characters come to helium-inflated life.  There will be age old favorites like Spider-Man and Buzz Lightyear, in addition to four brand new additions for 2013: Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon,”  Finn and Jake from “Adventure Time,” “SpongeBob SquarePants, and a brand-new edition my personal favorite parade balloon – Snoopy. 

As you watch these giant balloons inflate, you can reflect on how much the balloons have evolved over the years.  The very first balloon to ever march in the parade was Felix the Cat.  Felix made his debut in 1927 (three years after the parade began) and popped the following year.  In 1958, there was a helium shortage, and the balloons had to be brought down the parade route using cranes.  You might wonder how a helium shortage could have such a large effect on the parade.  Fun fact: Marcy’s is the second-largest consumer of helium world, led only by the United States Government. 

The balloons also take a lot of prep work.  Designers begin working on new balloons about a year in advance, studying the designs aerodynamics, flight patterns, and inflation and deflation.  After the balloons are built, over 1,500 volunteers (all Macy’s employees and select family and friends) take over the handling of the creations.  Those who volunteer to handle the balloons undergo extensive training in the classroom and on the job.  They even carried out a balloon test run this year at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  Handling a large heavy helium balloon, and working in tandem with a team of co-handlers is a lot of work and responsibility.  Out of control balloons can hurt people and be destructive to property.  The pull of a balloon lift can be the equivalent of 300-500 pounds.  Maintaining control of these helium giants over two and half miles can be grueling, so the volunteers must be over 18 years of age and in good physical condition.  You can also expect to see zero “selfie photographs” from these balloon handlers as cellphones are not allowed.  Both hands must remain on the rope.

This year’s parade will feature 16 balloons in all, the tallest of which will be the height of a 5 story building.  Most will have 90 handlers, the exception being Pikachu, which will have 106.  Watching the balloons come to life on Thanksgiving Eve is truly a unique New York event.  It’s a great way to get a head start on the holiday season and share Thanksgiving with other New Yorkers and tourists before you bunker down for a day filled with cooking and family. 

You can learn more about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and balloon inflation at their official website.