Maine

Here's how the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is brought to life

Published

1 year ago

November 28, 2024

Here's how the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is brought to life

Thanksgiving comes only once a year. But for the artists and engineers who create the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thanksgiving is a year-round occupation and obsession.

The parade takes a small army of sculptors, painters, seamstresses, carpenters and welders to put together the giant balloons, floats and elaborate costumes.

The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade took place a century ago in 1924. But this year’s parade is actually the 98th edition, since the parade was canceled during World War II.

About 3.5 million spectators will line the streets of New York City to view the parade in person. Another 30 million will watch the parade live on TV. Macy’s won’t comment on how much it costs to produce the parade, saying only that it’s “a gift to the nation.” Still, some estimates put the price tag at around $13 million.

Barry Gordemer / NPR

NPR

The Macy’s Studio paint room provides an explosion of color for the Thanksgiving parade floats and balloons.

Long before the parade marches its way through Manhattan, prep work takes place in a massive warehouse in New Jersey known as the Macy’s Studio. NPR’s Morning Edition visited for a behind-the-scenes look at how the holiday tradition comes together. The warehouse is a bland brick building on the outside that explodes in color on the inside.

“It does sometimes feel like when I come to work that I’m going to an amusement park,” said Kathleen Wright, the director of production operations for Macy’s Studio.

Wednesday Addams and her brother, Pugsley, are three stories tall. They have to be collapsed down so this float can fit through the Lincoln Tunnel and be transported to the parade starting line in New York City.

Just inside the main entrance of the warehouse is a float decked out in brilliant shades of green, orange and purple. It features characters from Wednesday, the Addams Family spinoff series on Netflix. The float boasts giant sculptures of Wednesday Addams and her brother, Pugsley. They’re approximately three stories tall. The floats not only have to look good, they also have to be engineered to come apart so they can be transported to the parade site.

“These need to collapse down and make their way through the Lincoln Tunnel, up through the streets of Manhattan, and up to the starting line of the parade, where they are reassembled,” Wright said.

There are 26 floats this year, including one with a fire-breathing dragon. However, the floats aren’t the star of the Macy’s Thanksgiving show. The Macy’s parade is best known for its giant cartoon-character balloons. Seventeen of these balloons will float above the streets of Manhattan this year, including balloons depicting Spider-Man, Dora the Explorer and Minnie Mouse. Minnie, despite her name, is the tallest of the balloons, topping out at about six stories.

Just how big is this Elf on the Shelf balloon? Look for Macy's Production Operations Director Kathleen Wright at the bottom of the photo. — Just how big is this Elf on the Shelf balloon? Look for Macy’s Production Operations Director Kathleen Wright at the bottom of the photo.

The first Macy’s balloon was Felix the Cat in 1927. In the parade’s early years, the balloons were released into the sky at the end of the parade. Anybody finding one could return it and receive a $50 gift certificate. The practice of releasing balloons ended in 1932.

It takes more than a half-million dollars’ worth of helium to keep all the balloons airborne.

Wright’s favorite parts of the parade preparations are the small details that very few people would notice.

“In the dark of night before Thanksgiving morning, we turn 2 1/2 miles of traffic lights flush to the sidewalk so that the balloons have a safe and clear path down to 34th Street from the starting line,” she said. “We cannot wait to show everyone on Thanksgiving morning what we’ve been working on.”

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Maine

18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

Published

3 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in September 2022.

When it comes to Maine hiking, summiting Katahdin is the ultimate achievement.

Maine’s tallest mountain stands at 5,269 feet, and there are a number of different trails hikers can take to get up and down Katahdin. And while some are harder than others, none are easy.

But the views are incredible.

Whether it’s the rugged terrain of the Knife Edge or the vast landscape of the 200,000 acres that compose Baxter State Park below, here’s a look at what it’s like to climb Katahdin.

Hunt Trail

Hunt Trail traces the edge of a ridge on the west side of Katahdin known as Hunt Spur. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Katahdin Stream Falls is one of the many scenic highlights of Katahdin’s Hunt Trail. It’s located about a mile from the trailhead at Katahdin Stream Campground. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN

Abol Trail

Chimney Pond Trail

Cathedral Trail

Saddle Trail

Northwest Basin Trail

Knife Edge

Hikers on the Knife Edge of Katahdin have few options for getting off trail to relieve themselves of human waste. Above treeline, Leave No Trace principles recommend planning ahead to avoid the necessity of going to the bathroom in fragile alpine areas, or getting off trail as far as possible to relieve themselves on rock or gravel. Credit: Courtesy of Brad Viles

Tablelands

South Peak

Hamlin Peak

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Maine

Maine Township Residents OK Purchase Of Building For Food Pantry – Journal & Topics Media Group

Published

15 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Maine Township Residents OK Purchase Of Building For Food Pantry – Journal & Topics Media Group

Maine Township residents vote in support of purchasing building for the relocation of the township food pantry.

A proposal for Maine Township to purchase a building at 9850 Milwaukee Ave. in Glenview to move its popular and growing food pantry received strong approval at the township’s Annual Meeting held last week at the Town Hall on Ballard Road.
More than 100 residents attended the meeting where they approved buying the property for $1,429,000. The 3,000 sq. ft. building, which is located within the township, had been the home of a local restaurant. It is currently vacant.
In March, Supervisor Kim Jones explained that the food pantry needs more space for food and to accommodate clients who need food. “We’ve totally outgrown it,” said Jones at the time. “We’ve been looking for more than a year.”
Following last week’s meeting, Jones said about the vote, “That magical moment really encapsulated the strong support system that’s been built from neighbors helping neighbors throughout our community. The food pantry has grown in leaps and bounds throughout the last five years thanks to the dedicated work of its staff, volunteers and the public.”
Des Plaines City Clerk Dominik Bronakowski served as ceremonial moderator for the event.
Jones also recognized a number of employees and officials who currently serve the township. They included Assessor Susan Moylan-Krey and MaineStay Youth and Family Services Director Richard Lyon for their 20 years of service to Maine. Assistant Director of MaineStreamers, Therese Tully was recognized for her 25 years of service.
The meeting also recognized former Des Plaines Self-Help Closet and Pantry Director Debbie Walusiak who was presented the Sgt. Karen Lader Good Citizen Award for her more than 20 years of service to the Des Plaines community.
“Debbie is an exceptional community leader and volunteer,” said township Clerk Pete Gialamas whose office runs the annual award program. “Her work with the Des Plaines community, particularly her leadership navigating the Self-Help Closet and Pantry’s 2020 move to a larger location in the midst of the COVID pandemic really shows the depth and resolve of that leadership and dedication to service.”
In 2011, the clerk’s office instituted the award in honor of Lader, a resident of Des Plaines and a 15-year veteran of the Cook County Sheriff’s Police who lost her battle with cancer in 2010. She was deeply involved with the township’s Neighborhood Watch program and active in Maine’s National Night Out Against Crime event held each August. She also worked on Special Olympics and animal rescue.

If you like this story, you can get a whole lot more practically every day of the week by subscribing to journal-topics.com. Click here to choose your preference of either print or online, or call 847-299-5511.

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Maine

Spring birding events are happening across Maine. Here’s where to go.

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Spring birding events are happening across Maine. Here’s where to go.

Now the fun begins, as many birds and quite a few birders return to Maine for the summer. It’s time to get organized.

Birding is generally a quiet, solitary pastime — a stroll in the park, a walk in the woods, a paddle in the marsh.

Penobscot Valley Audubon’s Neighborhood Bird Walks kick off May 6. There are 13 walks scheduled at birding hot spots in Greater Bangor throughout the month. These walks have been immensely popular since they began nine years ago.

The benefits are many. It’s a chance to walk with experienced local guides, finding birds you might otherwise overlook. You can start to associate specific species with their preferred habitats. It’s a great opportunity to learn and practice identification skills and gather tips from others. Many participants enjoy the social camaraderie of guided bird walks.

A Baltimore oriole perches in Maine. Spring birding events take advantage of the surge in returning species. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne

I will lead two of these morning walks and probably tag along on several others. I chuckle at how easy it is to find birds in May. I’ve done these same walks so many times over the years, I usually know where different species will be before I even arrive. It’s almost like cheating.

Penobscot Valley Audubon members have already received the walk schedule in the most recent newsletter. Nonmembers can find the schedule on the chapter website at pvc.maineudubon.org. The walks are free and open to all.

Morning bird walks are fun. But for a full weekend adventure, try a birding festival. There are four great festivals to choose from.

The Wings, Waves & Woods Festival occupies the third weekend of May. Most events occur in Stonington and Deer Isle. Highlights include a Sunday visit to the Atlantic puffin colony on Seal Island, preceded by a Saturday cruise around the islands outside Stonington Harbor. I’ll be one of the guides on both.

I must say I am particularly excited about the archipelago cruise. Last year was the first year we did it, and I was not prepared for how many winter seabirds were still loitering around the islands. The numbers and variety were astounding. This festival is ideal for seeing the overlap of Maine’s overwintering birds and newly arrived spring migrants, all on the same weekend.

A rose-breasted grosbeak perches in Maine. Migratory songbirds return in May, drawing birders to walks and festivals. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne

The Downeast Spring Birding Festival spans Memorial Day weekend. I’m awed, or maybe odd, to say I’ve been guiding for this festival ever since it began in 2003. Indeed, I led the very first walk of the first festival. That was amazing enough to convince me to keep doing it for the next 23 years.

Cobscook Institute coordinates the festival from its campus in Trescott. Events cover birding hotspots in Washington County, Campobello Island in New Brunswick and nearby offshore islands. Two different boats will visit two different puffin colonies over the weekend.

I might get an argument from the organizers of other festivals, but I personally think this one is the birdiest for two reasons. Memorial Day weekend is about the time the last returning migrants pass through Washington County, adding to the number of songbirds that have already established breeding territories for the summer. The Cobscook Bay area also has some of the most diverse habitat in the state, creating opportunities to see a wide variety of species in a relatively compact area.

The Acadia Birding Festival is the granddaddy of them all. Now in its 27th year, it’s the biggest of Maine’s festivals and attracts nationally recognized guides and speakers. It offers the advantage of birding in and around Acadia National Park.

The official dates for the festival are May 28-31, but three pre-festival trips are offered: one to Monhegan Island, one to Saddleback Mountain near Rangeley seeking the elusive Bicknell’s thrush and one to visit the puffins on Petit Manan, with a second post-festival trip to Petit Manan also available.

And now for something completely different: The Rangeley Birding Festival. The mountainous forests of western Maine host a different selection of bird species compared to the three coastal festivals. This is the realm of Canada jays, boreal chickadees, black-backed woodpeckers and that elusive Bicknell’s thrush.

By June 5-7, when this festival occurs, spring migration is over. Birds have settled into their nesting territories, where they can be predictably found. Very few organized events introduce birders to the boreal forest, so this festival has its own unique appeal.

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