While watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade you must have wondered about all the behind-the-scenes work needed to pull off the massive event–well, you can actually get a sneak peek of all that work at the annual Balloon Inflation event that takes place the day before the parade!
There you can watch up-close as ginormous balloons are filled with helium and grow exponentially in size.
The process takes place right outside Manhattan’s Museum of Natural History from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, the night before Thanksgiving day.
As the balloons are inflated they snake around the museum, beginning at the public entrance on 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue. And you’ll even get a first glance at this year’s new balloons before they fly!
And don’t worry about them floating away early—nets and sandbags are used to hold them down!
Some tips: between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. is the least crowded time to visit, but not as many balloons are blown up. If you go later in the evening, there will be a lot more people, but more fully inflated balloons to see.
So, your choice—more people or more balloons! You can find more info regarding the Balloon Inflation on the Macy’s website here.
And returning this year is a feature where you can check the parade route and public viewing spots.
📍 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue
🗓️ Wednesday, November 22, 2023, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.