WEBVTT - Making Magic Happen at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Kathleen Wright 0:00:00.180 --> 0:00:03.180 New York Road Runners is a non- profit organization with 0:00:03.180 --> 0:00:06.540 a vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through 0:00:06.540 --> 0:00:10.200 the transformative power of running. The support of members and 0:00:10.200 --> 0:00:13.830 donors like you helps us achieve our mission to transform 0:00:13.830 --> 0:00:17.100 the health and well- being of our communities through inclusive 0:00:17.100 --> 0:00:21.360 and accessible running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential. 0:00:21.810 --> 0:00:25.919 Learn more and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate. 0:00:29.910 --> 0:00:34.320 Thank you, New York. Today we're reminded of the power 0:00:34.320 --> 0:00:39.180 of community and the power of coming together. Athletes, on 0:00:39.180 --> 0:00:39.779 your mark. 0:00:41.880 --> 0:00:45.450 The first woman to finish for the second straight year 0:00:45.450 --> 0:00:49.080 here in the New York City Marathon is Miki Gorman, a smiling 0:00:49.080 --> 0:00:52.949 Miki Gorman. And why not? 2: 29:30, the time for good advice. 0:00:53.850 --> 0:00:56.520 Look at the emotion of Shalane Flanagan as she comes 0:00:56.520 --> 0:00:59.790 to the line. Pointing to his chest, pointing to the 0:00:59.790 --> 0:01:03.900 USA, he so proudly wears across his chest. A great day 0:01:03.900 --> 0:01:05.010 for Meb Keflezighi. 0:01:10.110 --> 0:01:13.020 Hey everybody, and welcome to Set the Pace, the official 0:01:13.020 --> 0:01:16.620 podcast of New York Road Runners, presented by Peloton. I'm 0:01:16.620 --> 0:01:19.290 your host and the CEO of New York Road Runners, 0:01:19.350 --> 0:01:22.530 Rob Simmelkjaer. And if you're getting this episode on the 0:01:22.530 --> 0:01:24.630 day it drops, then the first thing I want to 0:01:24.630 --> 0:01:29.130 say is happy Thanksgiving. Hope everybody out there is having 0:01:29.130 --> 0:01:33.060 a great holiday with friends, with family. I think we 0:01:33.060 --> 0:01:36.090 all have a lot to be thankful for. Certainly those 0:01:36.090 --> 0:01:38.160 of us at New York Road Runners. So much to 0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:42.840 be thankful for this season. Thankful for great running all 0:01:42.840 --> 0:01:47.580 year long, great racing, a phenomenal TCS New York City 0:01:47.580 --> 0:01:50.670 Marathon. And most of all, I can just say as 0:01:50.670 --> 0:01:53.970 our CEO, we are thankful for all of you, the 0:01:53.970 --> 0:01:58.170 members of our running community, our members, our runners, everybody 0:01:58.170 --> 0:02:00.390 out there who's been a part of our community this 0:02:00.390 --> 0:02:03.630 year. We thank you. We're thankful for you, and we're 0:02:03.630 --> 0:02:07.140 thankful that you have been able to engage with us 0:02:07.140 --> 0:02:09.419 and get something out of what we do this year. 0:02:10.050 --> 0:02:12.930 The power of running, we always talk about it. Hopefully 0:02:12.930 --> 0:02:15.300 you have felt some of that power this year. And 0:02:15.570 --> 0:02:17.669 we're thankful to have been a part of that with 0:02:17.669 --> 0:02:21.780 you. Also, I'm thankful for my co- host, Becs Gentry. 0:02:22.380 --> 0:02:25.470 She's not with us today, as she is quite rightly 0:02:25.470 --> 0:02:29.460 on vacation. That's right. She is vacationing from completing her 0:02:29.460 --> 0:02:35.340 incredible feat around the around the world marathon tour last Wednesday, seven 0:02:35.340 --> 0:02:39.690 marathons on seven continents in seven days. She just did 0:02:39.690 --> 0:02:43.740 a phenomenal job. It's incredible. I can only imagine the 0:02:43.740 --> 0:02:45.900 exhaustion she must have felt at the end of that, 0:02:45.900 --> 0:02:48.930 but also the elation. She'll be back with us next 0:02:48.930 --> 0:02:51.810 week and I can't wait to talk to Becs about 0:02:51.810 --> 0:02:55.800 this adventure, hear all about it. What an incredible accomplishment. 0:02:55.800 --> 0:02:58.380 So congrats, Becs. We're thankful for you and we're thankful 0:02:58.380 --> 0:03:03.000 that you came through that amazing adventure safe and sound 0:03:03.000 --> 0:03:04.919 and did such a great job. So I hope you're having 0:03:04.919 --> 0:03:09.630 a restful Thanksgiving with your family and friends and all 0:03:09.630 --> 0:03:12.480 of that. Well, this coming weekend's a quiet weekend for 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:14.070 us at New York Road Runners. We're not in the 0:03:14.070 --> 0:03:16.889 turkey trot business here. I'm sure many of you are 0:03:16.889 --> 0:03:20.790 out there running turkey trots here on Thanksgiving Day or 0:03:21.000 --> 0:03:23.430 maybe over the following weekend. So for those who are 0:03:23.430 --> 0:03:26.130 doing your turkey trots, good luck. Enjoy. It's such a 0:03:26.130 --> 0:03:30.060 fun thing to do to get some calories burned off 0:03:30.060 --> 0:03:33.270 and get your metabolism up for that Thanksgiving feast. So 0:03:33.270 --> 0:03:35.490 hope everybody has a great turkey trot, whether it's a 0:03:35.490 --> 0:03:38.220 race or just to run with friends or family. But 0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:40.770 Road Runners is quiet this weekend, but we had a 0:03:40.770 --> 0:03:44.520 really busy and great weekend, the weekend before Thanksgiving, so 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:47.160 some early turkey trots we had going. And we had 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:49.320 a couple of them. First of all, I had a 0:03:49.410 --> 0:03:53.190 great time on Sunday, heading back to my old stomping 0:03:53.190 --> 0:03:56.220 grounds Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx for the New 0:03:56.220 --> 0:03:59.790 York Road Runners Cross Country, 5K this past Sunday. It 0:03:59.790 --> 0:04:03.330 was the first time I'd been to Van Cortlandt since 0:04:03.330 --> 0:04:06.120 I ran cross- country at Horace Mann School back in 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:09.330 the 1980s. Yes, that's right folks. It was the eighties. 0:04:09.780 --> 0:04:12.720 And man, it was incredible to go back there and 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:14.190 it was so much fun to go back there with 0:04:14.190 --> 0:04:17.070 my daughter, Julia. The two of us took on that 0:04:17.070 --> 0:04:24.150 5K course and man, I think that I had somehow blocked out how 0:04:24.150 --> 0:04:27.900 incredibly difficult that cross- country course is. You know how they say 0:04:28.230 --> 0:04:31.500 that these really hard things that we go through, we 0:04:31.500 --> 0:04:34.380 somehow managed to either forget or think of them more 0:04:34.380 --> 0:04:36.930 fondly so that we'll be convinced to do them again? 0:04:37.260 --> 0:04:39.690 Well, that's how I felt running that cross- country course 0:04:39.930 --> 0:04:44.370 on Sunday. The hills in those woods are so massive. 0:04:44.370 --> 0:04:48.360 Somehow I had blocked those out. And Julia was looking 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:50.520 at me halfway through this race like, " What are you 0:04:50.520 --> 0:04:52.770 doing to me right now?" It was such a hard 0:04:52.770 --> 0:04:55.169 race. It was like three and a half minutes or 0:04:55.170 --> 0:04:57.600 more off of her 5K PR because it was so 0:04:57.600 --> 0:05:00.240 challenging. But at the end we had such a great 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:05.820 time. And it was such a really old school race. 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:08.430 People just went out to the field, lined up a 0:05:08.430 --> 0:05:12.120 loose starting line. No timing at the start. You just 0:05:12.120 --> 0:05:14.070 go and run. And the only timing was at the 0:05:14.070 --> 0:05:16.830 finish. It really brought me back to the early days 0:05:17.160 --> 0:05:20.220 of running for me. Of course, the cross- country tradition. 0:05:20.490 --> 0:05:22.470 And the early days of New York Road Runners, which 0:05:22.589 --> 0:05:26.670 really started out in the Bronx as a much more low- 0:05:26.670 --> 0:05:29.969 key running operation than of course we are now. And 0:05:29.970 --> 0:05:32.279 so it was really fun to experience that and it 0:05:32.279 --> 0:05:34.380 was great to see folks up there. We also had over 1, 0:05:34.470 --> 0:05:37.830 000 kids running with Rising New York Road Runners. It's one 0:05:37.830 --> 0:05:40.500 of our biggest youth events of the year, and the 0:05:40.500 --> 0:05:43.440 buses were lined up and down Broadway. A great turnout 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:46.170 of kids from all five boroughs of New York. That 0:05:46.170 --> 0:05:48.180 was awesome to see as they all got in a 0:05:48.180 --> 0:05:51.659 run before their Thanksgiving holiday. So congrats to everybody, adults 0:05:51.660 --> 0:05:54.450 and kids, who ran in the Bronx on Sunday. It 0:05:54.450 --> 0:05:57.480 was really a great day. Then, back in Central Park, 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:01.980 we also had more than 6, 700 runners completing the annual 0:06:02.220 --> 0:06:05.760 Race to Deliver 4Miler to Benefit God's Love We Deliver. 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:10.349 And it was a great event. It raises money for 0:06:10.350 --> 0:06:13.950 God's Love We Deliver, a great organization that cooks and 0:06:13.950 --> 0:06:18.510 delivers medically tailored meals to New Yorkers affected by severe 0:06:18.510 --> 0:06:23.820 illness such as heart disease, HIV, cancer, and COPD. This 0:06:23.820 --> 0:06:27.719 year the organization will work with more than 24, 000 volunteers 0:06:27.930 --> 0:06:30.870 to deliver more than 5 million meals, all free of 0:06:30.870 --> 0:06:35.279 charge, to more than 17,000 New Yorkers. And so it's 0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:38.580 a great race, a great event to benefit a phenomenal 0:06:38.580 --> 0:06:41.010 cause at the perfect time of year as we get 0:06:41.010 --> 0:06:43.529 into the holiday season. So thanks to all the runners 0:06:43.529 --> 0:06:45.990 who came out to support the run to our Rising 0:06:45.990 --> 0:06:48.419 New York Road Runners participants and parents and all the 0:06:48.420 --> 0:06:51.210 volunteers who made a great morning. The winners, by the 0:06:51.210 --> 0:06:54.180 way in Central Park for the women, it was Lauren 0:06:54.210 --> 0:06:58.440 Sapone with a time of 24: 28. Non- binary winner was 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:03.120 Sean Rankin with a time of 25:44. Sean runs with 0:07:03.120 --> 0:07:06.690 Dashing Whippets. And for the men it was Jeremy Arthur 0:07:06.930 --> 0:07:09.840 with a time of 20 minutes and 45 seconds. Jeremy 0:07:09.840 --> 0:07:12.960 also runs with Dashing Whippets. So congrats to all the 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:16.110 finishers of both of our races this past Sunday. No 0:07:16.110 --> 0:07:19.230 matter what season of life you're in, Peloton has everything 0:07:19.230 --> 0:07:22.290 you need to keep your running on track. From challenging 0:07:22.290 --> 0:07:25.860 classes and training programs to outdoor runs and walks, we've 0:07:25.860 --> 0:07:28.830 got you covered whatever your level. Whether you're gearing up 0:07:28.830 --> 0:07:32.340 for a race or in- between events, unlock your personalized 0:07:32.340 --> 0:07:36.030 training plans, expert coaching, and a community that supports you 0:07:36.240 --> 0:07:39.300 every step of the way. Find your push, find your 0:07:39.300 --> 0:07:46.170 power at onepeloton. com/ race- training. Every November two of 0:07:46.170 --> 0:07:48.930 New York City's most iconic events take over the streets 0:07:48.930 --> 0:07:52.290 of New York City and captivate viewers worldwide. Of course, 0:07:52.290 --> 0:07:54.630 one of them is the TCS New York City Marathon 0:07:54.630 --> 0:07:57.330 that we all know about. Well, the other is happening 0:07:57.360 --> 0:08:01.290 this week, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. On this special 0:08:01.290 --> 0:08:04.020 Thanksgiving episode of Set the Pace, you're used to hearing 0:08:04.020 --> 0:08:06.900 about the details behind producing the marathon. But today we're 0:08:06.900 --> 0:08:09.810 going to take you behind the scenes of the Macy's 0:08:09.810 --> 0:08:14.070 Thanksgiving Day Parade with Kathleen Wright. She is the powerhouse 0:08:14.070 --> 0:08:17.970 production director of that parade and she'll share everything it 0:08:17.970 --> 0:08:21.270 takes to bring this quintessential New York City tradition to 0:08:21.270 --> 0:08:24.180 life. And for today's member moment, Meb's going to be 0:08:24.180 --> 0:08:27.630 here to introduce us to the champion of the first 0:08:27.870 --> 0:08:32.850 Every Woman's Marathon, New York Road Runner's member, Khia Kurtenbach. Khia 0:08:32.850 --> 0:08:34.590 will tell us what it felt like to be the 0:08:34.590 --> 0:08:37.650 very first woman to cross the finish line where some 0:08:37.650 --> 0:08:41.640 of her personal heroes, including Kathrine Switzer and Des Linden 0:08:41.850 --> 0:08:45.059 were waiting to celebrate her. And then for today's Meb 0:08:45.059 --> 0:08:49.350 Minute, Meb will be here to talk about thankfulness, specifically 0:08:49.470 --> 0:08:52.590 how thankful we should all be for what running does 0:08:52.590 --> 0:08:53.160 for us. 0:08:53.700 --> 0:08:56.850 Growing a business means a lot of audience attracting, a 0:08:56.850 --> 0:08:59.550 lot of lead scoring, and a lot of long days. 0:08:59.880 --> 0:09:02.760 But with HubSpot, it's easier than ever for marketers to 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:06.569 boost leads and score customers fast, which means pretty soon 0:09:06.690 --> 0:09:11.580 your company will have a lot to celebrate. Visit hubspot. com/ 0:09:12.090 --> 0:09:13.620 marketers to learn more. 0:09:14.099 --> 0:09:17.550 Well, you know if you listen to this show that I always say the TCS New 0:09:17.550 --> 0:09:20.370 York City Marathon is the best day of the year in 0:09:20.370 --> 0:09:22.890 New York City. My guest today may be one of 0:09:22.890 --> 0:09:25.800 the few people in the city who could maybe have 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:29.579 an argument against that, at least maybe a tie. Kathleen 0:09:29.580 --> 0:09:32.939 Wright is the director of production operations and the woman 0:09:32.940 --> 0:09:37.080 responsible for orchestrating the magic behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Day 0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:39.929 Parade. From the floats and the balloons to the clowns 0:09:39.929 --> 0:09:43.439 and the marching bands, Kathleen's team handles it all, making 0:09:43.440 --> 0:09:47.309 sure every detail is perfect for millions of spectators, both 0:09:47.309 --> 0:09:50.460 in person and of course on national television. What began 0:09:50.460 --> 0:09:53.640 as a volunteer opportunity has turned into a dream job, 0:09:53.940 --> 0:09:56.490 leading one of the biggest holiday events in the world. 0:09:57.059 --> 0:10:00.660 And much like the marathon, the parade is complex. It's 0:10:00.660 --> 0:10:05.849 a logistical masterpiece that transforms the city streets. Kathleen's here 0:10:05.850 --> 0:10:07.980 to share with us how she and her team make 0:10:07.980 --> 0:10:12.120 it all happen year after year on Thanksgiving. Kathleen, it's 0:10:12.120 --> 0:10:13.410 nice to meet you. How are you doing? 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:16.468 So nice to meet you as well. I'm so excited 0:10:16.469 --> 0:10:18.870 to talk about this with you. Big fan of the Road Runners and the 0:10:18.870 --> 0:10:20.910 New York City Marathon. So excited to dive in. 0:10:21.240 --> 0:10:25.500 Thank you. And you have a good perspective on these two big New York City 0:10:25.500 --> 0:10:28.350 events. You've run the marathon a few times, now you are " 0:10:29.340 --> 0:10:33.120 running," in charge of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. So 0:10:34.140 --> 0:10:38.160 it's definitely a fun argument, which is a better day, 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:41.550 but there's certainly both big days for New York City. 0:10:42.390 --> 0:10:44.580 Tell me a little bit to start about just the 0:10:44.580 --> 0:10:47.100 history of this event. It's been going on ever since 0:10:47.100 --> 0:10:50.458 I can remember and I imagine well, well before. 0:10:51.599 --> 0:10:55.590 Yeah, so the first parade was in 1924. So we 0:10:55.590 --> 0:10:58.199 are right at that 100- year mark. The parade was 0:10:58.679 --> 0:11:01.380 canceled for three years during World War Two, so we're 0:11:01.770 --> 0:11:05.220 celebrating our 100th parade in a couple of years. But every 0:11:05.220 --> 0:11:10.320 single year has been just a new, fun experiment of 0:11:10.320 --> 0:11:15.600 how we can honor the tradition of those 97 parades 0:11:15.600 --> 0:11:17.730 that have already gone by, how we can make the 0:11:17.730 --> 0:11:21.870 98th just as fun, just as exciting, just as inspiring 0:11:21.870 --> 0:11:23.670 of all of the parades that have come before it. 0:11:24.630 --> 0:11:27.059 And Kathleen, I imagine a lot of people, and I 0:11:27.059 --> 0:11:30.360 thought this for a long time, would just think Macy's 0:11:30.360 --> 0:11:33.480 is the sponsor of the parade, kind of like TCS is 0:11:33.480 --> 0:11:36.300 the sponsor of the New York City Marathon, but not 0:11:36.300 --> 0:11:40.140 necessarily realize that you're a Macy's employee. Your team works 0:11:40.140 --> 0:11:44.010 for Macy's. You guys stage the event. Macy's is putting 0:11:44.010 --> 0:11:45.540 this thing on, not just sponsoring it. 0:11:46.830 --> 0:11:49.830 That's right. I work for Macy's. I am on the 0:11:49.830 --> 0:11:54.360 Macy's Studios team and there are 50 of us that 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:58.140 work year- round on Macy's events. So that includes not 0:11:58.140 --> 0:12:01.290 only the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but also the Macy's 0:12:01.290 --> 0:12:03.720 4th of July Fireworks and a few other iconic events 0:12:03.720 --> 0:12:06.270 like the Flower Show here in New York City. And we are 0:12:06.540 --> 0:12:09.449 so proud that we are able to continue this tradition 0:12:09.450 --> 0:12:12.570 and continue working on this iconic event that is so 0:12:12.570 --> 0:12:16.140 beloved by New Yorkers and Americans across the country. 0:12:16.770 --> 0:12:20.429 It really is just a staple of New York and just as Macy's 0:12:20.429 --> 0:12:24.179 is, so the two really do go together. People ask 0:12:24.179 --> 0:12:26.099 me this all the time about the Marathon, so I'll 0:12:26.100 --> 0:12:29.670 ask you regarding the parade. When do you start planning 0:12:29.760 --> 0:12:32.070 each year for the Thanksgiving Day Parade? 0:12:33.030 --> 0:12:36.720 Our team typically starts planning about 18 months in advance. 0:12:36.720 --> 0:12:40.350 So that's everything from my role of thinking about the 0:12:40.350 --> 0:12:44.010 logistics of what worked the last parade, what do we 0:12:44.010 --> 0:12:46.800 update, what do we improve? Who are the new partners 0:12:46.800 --> 0:12:49.020 that we can bring in? How are we designing the 0:12:49.020 --> 0:12:54.030 next cool, new float, the next incredible, giant character balloon? 0:12:54.030 --> 0:12:57.030 So all of that work starts about 18 months in advance. 0:12:57.390 --> 0:12:59.850 We're always thinking about the parade in the back of 0:12:59.850 --> 0:13:00.390 our minds. 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:05.730 Yeah, that's very similar to Marathon. We are currently thinking 0:13:05.730 --> 0:13:10.770 about the 2026 Marathon on our end. So obviously '25's coming 0:13:10.770 --> 0:13:13.860 right up, but we've got conversations about '26, so that's 0:13:13.860 --> 0:13:17.160 about two years in advance for us. '26 is a big 0:13:17.160 --> 0:13:19.170 one for us. It's a big anniversary. You guys have 0:13:19.170 --> 0:13:21.959 a big anniversary as well coming up, so I'm sure 0:13:22.470 --> 0:13:25.229 the work goes even further out when you've got a 0:13:25.230 --> 0:13:28.078 big thing to celebrate, like the 100th Thanksgiving Day Parade. 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:33.420 Yeah. So the 100th is coming up in 2026. We already have our 0:13:33.420 --> 0:13:36.809 eyes on that. So we are right now simultaneously thinking 0:13:36.809 --> 0:13:40.380 about the parade that's coming up just next week; the 0:13:40.380 --> 0:13:44.970 2025 parade, which will be our 99th; and then the 2026, when we'll celebrate 0:13:45.270 --> 0:13:47.730 100 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades. 0:13:47.910 --> 0:13:50.819 Wow, that's amazing. Another big thing in 2026 because it's 0:13:50.820 --> 0:13:54.390 going to be the 50th anniversary of the Five- Borough 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:57.720 New York City Marathon in '26, and then just a 0:13:57.720 --> 0:14:02.429 few weeks later the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. So that's going 0:14:02.429 --> 0:14:04.740 to be a great month of November in New York in a couple 0:14:04.740 --> 0:14:05.730 of years. That's pretty exciting. 0:14:06.780 --> 0:14:10.110 I completely agree. I have always said that November is 0:14:10.110 --> 0:14:12.330 my favorite month in New York City for that exact 0:14:12.330 --> 0:14:15.270 reason. So that'll be a really fun one in 2026. 0:14:15.990 --> 0:14:19.380 So I think another similarity between the Marathon and the 0:14:19.590 --> 0:14:23.700 Thanksgiving Day Parade is how many volunteers it takes to 0:14:23.700 --> 0:14:28.200 put the event on. We rely on about 10, 000 volunteers 0:14:28.500 --> 0:14:31.530 to support the runners going from Staten Island to Central 0:14:31.530 --> 0:14:33.450 Park. And I know, I've been to this parade a 0:14:33.450 --> 0:14:36.390 few times, I know how many people volunteer. I also 0:14:36.390 --> 0:14:40.380 know, similar to Marathon, how sought- after some of these 0:14:40.380 --> 0:14:44.970 volunteer positions are. Being a clown or holding a float, 0:14:46.020 --> 0:14:48.030 those are prime assignments for volunteers. 0:14:49.230 --> 0:14:53.640 Yes, we have about five volunteers that volunteer with us 0:14:53.640 --> 0:14:56.880 on Thanksgiving morning. And I think that so much of 0:14:56.880 --> 0:15:00.239 that tradition of the original Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade back 0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:03.420 in 1924 carries on with us today in that so 0:15:03.420 --> 0:15:07.890 many of those volunteers are Macy's colleagues, and their friends, 0:15:07.890 --> 0:15:10.920 and family. So we've really kind kept that rooted in 0:15:10.920 --> 0:15:14.970 the tradition of the Macy's family really continuing on, volunteering 0:15:14.970 --> 0:15:18.150 their time on a holiday to come together and celebrate 0:15:18.150 --> 0:15:21.150 Thanksgiving together. And I think that's in part why it 0:15:21.150 --> 0:15:24.630 is such a coveted spot to be a part of 0:15:24.630 --> 0:15:27.600 the parade and join and celebrate with us. It really 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:33.420 is a wonderful family entertainment event on Thanksgiving morning. 0:15:34.050 --> 0:15:36.990 All right. So let's talk about the balloons. And the 0:15:36.990 --> 0:15:40.230 first thing I want to ask is the process for 0:15:40.320 --> 0:15:44.760 getting to be a balloon. You've got cultural trends that 0:15:45.090 --> 0:15:48.930 come and go. Maybe one year the Transformers are really 0:15:48.930 --> 0:15:53.130 popular and then it's some anime character, but then you've 0:15:53.130 --> 0:15:57.060 got the standbys, like the ones who seem to always 0:15:57.060 --> 0:15:59.910 be there. I think Snoopy, right? Is Snoopy kind of 0:16:00.210 --> 0:16:03.360 an evergreen balloon? I feel like Snoopy is never going 0:16:03.360 --> 0:16:06.060 to really go away. I hope not. What is that 0:16:06.060 --> 0:16:09.120 process of deciding what balloons are going to make the 0:16:09.120 --> 0:16:09.810 cut every year? 0:16:11.100 --> 0:16:14.310 So every year we are always looking at for what 0:16:14.310 --> 0:16:18.420 is the best in entertainment, what is the most iconic, 0:16:18.420 --> 0:16:21.630 fun, what's new and fresh, but what is also traditional? 0:16:21.630 --> 0:16:24.420 Like that's Snoopy character balloon. And we work very closely 0:16:24.420 --> 0:16:27.840 with our partners to incorporate those characters and then make 0:16:27.840 --> 0:16:30.720 sure that we are really matching the essence of those 0:16:30.720 --> 0:16:35.100 characters to ensure that we are representing that character to 0:16:35.100 --> 0:16:37.979 exactly what they were designed to look like in their 0:16:38.250 --> 0:16:41.100 original state. So I think some of the really fun, 0:16:41.100 --> 0:16:44.580 new balloons this year, there's six new giant balloons in 0:16:44.580 --> 0:16:47.220 the parade. We have Minnie Mouse for the first time 0:16:47.280 --> 0:16:50.610 ever, which is so exciting. We've had a few different 0:16:50.610 --> 0:16:53.100 iterations of Mickey. So Minnie is now in the parade 0:16:53.100 --> 0:16:54.180 for the very first time. 0:16:54.180 --> 0:16:57.990 I'm amazed that it is Minnie's first appearance. That's amazing that it's 0:16:57.990 --> 0:17:02.250 her first appearance in the parade. So good for Minnie. Congratulations. 0:17:02.760 --> 0:17:02.761 Got it. 0:17:02.761 --> 0:17:03.360 Girl power. 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:03.750 Exactly. 0:17:03.750 --> 0:17:03.900 Love it. 0:17:04.320 --> 0:17:07.859 Exactly. Girl power. We're very excited about that one. And 0:17:09.330 --> 0:17:12.090 when we started that process, it was so important that 0:17:12.090 --> 0:17:14.639 we were making sure that Minnie really looked like Minnie. 0:17:14.640 --> 0:17:17.730 And I think that that's really part of where the 0:17:17.790 --> 0:17:21.690 art and science of our balloon team design really comes 0:17:21.690 --> 0:17:25.200 together because it is a science to design these balloons 0:17:25.230 --> 0:17:27.780 and to make sure that they are aerodynamic and have 0:17:27.780 --> 0:17:30.659 enough lift to fly down the parade route. But it 0:17:30.660 --> 0:17:33.359 also has to look like Minnie. And our designers and 0:17:33.359 --> 0:17:36.659 our creative teams are so talented and making sure that 0:17:36.660 --> 0:17:40.080 we are representing Minnie exactly as she should be represented. 0:17:40.350 --> 0:17:44.250 So it's a really, really interesting process to see that 0:17:45.030 --> 0:17:48.359 art and science come together to really develop and design 0:17:48.359 --> 0:17:49.020 those balloons. 0:17:49.380 --> 0:17:51.119 What else is new this year? I'm curious. 0:17:52.260 --> 0:17:55.080 We also have a new Spider- Man balloon this year. Spider- 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:56.820 Man has been in the parade before, but we have 0:17:56.820 --> 0:17:59.430 a brand new balloon this year in Spider- Man. We 0:17:59.430 --> 0:18:02.070 have a character Noorah from The Elf on the Shelf 0:18:02.070 --> 0:18:06.480 series. She's a wintery fox and she's really fun, really 0:18:06.480 --> 0:18:09.209 pretty. Her tail is painted like the Northern Lights. I 0:18:09.210 --> 0:18:11.010 think she's going to be a real fan favorite on 0:18:11.010 --> 0:18:15.270 the parade route. We have Gabby from Gabby's Dollhouse. Another, 0:18:15.270 --> 0:18:18.629 I think a really fun character. I think a lot of the 0:18:18.630 --> 0:18:20.700 kids are going to be so excited about her being 0:18:20.700 --> 0:18:23.940 in the parade. We have a new Goku balloon this year. Goku 0:18:24.390 --> 0:18:26.639 has been in the parade for the last few years, 0:18:26.820 --> 0:18:30.480 so another superhero character that's going to be on the 0:18:30.480 --> 0:18:33.960 parade route. Really so many fans of Goku that we're so 0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:38.280 excited to see. And then we also have a new PAW Patrol character. 0:18:38.280 --> 0:18:41.400 So Chase has been on the case, on the parade 0:18:41.400 --> 0:18:44.190 route for several years and now we have Marshall who 0:18:44.190 --> 0:18:45.149 will be joining us, and- 0:18:45.300 --> 0:18:47.460 Marshall's the Dalmatian if I'm not mistaken, right? 0:18:47.460 --> 0:18:51.359 Got it. Yes. So a really fun character. We're really 0:18:51.359 --> 0:18:53.040 excited to see fly On Thanksgiving. 0:18:53.369 --> 0:18:56.639 I still know my PAW Patrol characters five or six 0:18:56.640 --> 0:18:59.010 years after the last of my children was watching that 0:18:59.010 --> 0:19:00.869 show, so I'm proud of myself on that. But I always liked 0:19:00.869 --> 0:19:03.090 Marshall so I was partial to Marshall. 0:19:06.060 --> 0:19:06.149 Yes, very good 0:19:06.150 --> 0:19:09.450 And so, a night that a lot of New Yorkers 0:19:09.630 --> 0:19:14.010 know about, and people who are every year attendees to 0:19:14.010 --> 0:19:16.980 the Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, know 0:19:16.980 --> 0:19:20.190 about, but some non- New Yorkers may not know is 0:19:20.190 --> 0:19:23.699 the night before, which is really in a lot of 0:19:23.700 --> 0:19:26.250 ways kind of the ticket that so many people want. 0:19:26.609 --> 0:19:30.030 Where you get to go and watch the balloons get 0:19:30.270 --> 0:19:33.659 to be inflated. There's streets I think that are closed 0:19:33.990 --> 0:19:36.600 on the Upper West Side, near Central Park West, and 0:19:36.869 --> 0:19:40.590 the inflating of the balloons is a big, big tradition. 0:19:40.859 --> 0:19:43.800 Can you talk about that night and how long it 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:46.560 takes? How many people are involved in that? And how 0:19:46.560 --> 0:19:48.780 can someone, if they want to check that out, get 0:19:48.780 --> 0:19:50.730 a chance to see the balloons get blown up? 0:19:51.090 --> 0:19:53.939 Yeah. So the balloon inflation event I think is something 0:19:53.940 --> 0:19:57.210 that makes the Thanksgiving Day parade so special because it 0:19:57.210 --> 0:20:00.390 is that sneak peek. It's that look behind the curtain. 0:20:00.390 --> 0:20:02.700 How does this all come together? How do these balloons 0:20:02.910 --> 0:20:04.859 all get inflated and then make their way down the 0:20:04.859 --> 0:20:07.830 parade route on Thanksgiving morning. So on the Upper West 0:20:07.830 --> 0:20:11.010 Side, we inflate all of the balloons in the lineup. 0:20:11.010 --> 0:20:15.359 Starting on Wednesday morning. It takes us about eight hours 0:20:15.359 --> 0:20:18.480 to inflate the entire lineup of balloons. And we have 0:20:18.480 --> 0:20:22.680 a team of about 150 balloon technicians and inflation team 0:20:22.680 --> 0:20:27.240 members that are inflating the balloons throughout the day. And 0:20:27.240 --> 0:20:31.169 that event is open to the public from 1:00 to 6: 00 0:20:31.170 --> 0:20:35.639 PM on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. You can join 0:20:35.640 --> 0:20:38.730 the line on 72nd Street, starting at noon to get 0:20:38.730 --> 0:20:41.939 in line, get your spot. 72nd Street in Columbus is 0:20:41.940 --> 0:20:43.770 where you'll enter. And then we'll take you around the 0:20:43.770 --> 0:20:46.080 queue line. You'll see all of the balloons as they're 0:20:46.080 --> 0:20:49.109 inflated. And then there's also the added bonus of seeing 0:20:49.109 --> 0:20:51.330 some of our floats in the parade get assembled on 0:20:51.330 --> 0:20:54.959 Central Park West. So it truly is that behind- the- 0:20:54.960 --> 0:20:59.490 scenes look at how the parade is made and built 0:20:59.970 --> 0:21:00.869 that day before. 0:21:01.619 --> 0:21:04.260 I love it. I've actually never had a chance to 0:21:04.260 --> 0:21:07.859 go see that. I've been to the the parade, I've been 0:21:07.859 --> 0:21:09.179 on the streets. I've had a chance to be in 0:21:09.180 --> 0:21:11.369 the bleachers with my kids a couple of times as 0:21:11.369 --> 0:21:13.740 well, but I got to make a plan to get 0:21:13.740 --> 0:21:16.500 down there and watch that inflation event. That sounds like 0:21:16.500 --> 0:21:20.850 a lot of fun. Kathleen, there's something called a balloonical 0:21:20.850 --> 0:21:23.220 that I've been hearing about and I'm trying to understand 0:21:23.220 --> 0:21:26.310 what this is. I know self- driving cars are a 0:21:26.310 --> 0:21:30.060 thing in the world now, but balloonicals these things, they 0:21:30.060 --> 0:21:32.850 basically don't need holders. Is that right? What is a balloonical? 0:21:34.830 --> 0:21:38.490 So a balloonical is part of the magic of Macy's Studios. When 0:21:38.490 --> 0:21:41.159 we were tasked with trying to find another fun and 0:21:41.160 --> 0:21:43.590 new creative element that could be a part of our 0:21:43.590 --> 0:21:48.659 parade, we created balloonicals. And they are self- driving inflatables 0:21:48.660 --> 0:21:51.420 that make their way down the parade route. So this 0:21:51.420 --> 0:21:55.470 year you will see a few baby Dino Balloonicals that 0:21:55.470 --> 0:22:00.359