Parade Tradition!

So, every year, my family and I anticipate the annual broadcast of the Macy's Day Parade. More than 85 years, and the event is still going strong. My wife and I have a background in live television and communication, so the obvious appeal to us is always going to be how the program is being produced. By the time you have kids though, it becomes a family tradition and you sit down and just (try) to enjoy it for the magical event that it is. We could go on and on about the Broadway show previews, and the enormous balloon floats, and even the anticipation of Santa Clause arriving on location; but today...since the kids are upstairs, maybe this is a good time to consider what does go into making this annual event come to life. Now, no one can rival the expert craftsmanship and detailed designs of Santa's elves up in the North Pole. So, then it would be obvious to me that all of the floats and balloon designs are made up there. Right? Wrong!? How could this be? Maybe my Spidey senses are off today. Macy's has a parade studio in Moonachie, NJ where they design, construct, and engineer the 30 floats and 16 balloons that will make their way eventually down 34th Street...even your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man makes an appearance. Obviously New Jersey is no North Pole, but if it had to be in a category of places where magic happens, then it would rank right up there. Sure, we substitute elves for welders, engineers, and architects, but at least we still get a Santa at the end of the whole deal. The event is broadcast live on the NBC network and affiliates and is covered by NBC's top ranking anchors from the Today Show. But they are not the only talent on the scene. The annual event brings in actors, musicians, singers, and performers from all around the world and from all walks of life just to share the stage and to make a lasting memory for families everywhere. Practically, we understand that there is a high cost involved in bringing this show together every year, but I can't talk about cost right now, because my kids just entered the room and I don't want to destroy the dream. Let's just say then that Santa invests a lot to bring this event tradition to New York every year. I wonder what his spreadsheet looks like?