7 Things You Probably Don’t Know About the Macy’s Parade

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving morning without watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade with your family while mom is in the kitchen getting your turkey ready.

The broadcast is from 9 a.m. to noon. The parade is viewed live by some 3.5 million spectators and televised to an estimated 50 million.

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1. They'll be driving Ram trucks - Ram is the new official truck and this year they'll be towing all 27 floats. Those floats can weigh up to eight tons once they're loaded with performers and kids. They'll be using light-duty and heavy-duty trucks.

2. In past years, it would have been GMCs - GMC pickups and SUVs did the towing in previous years. GMC's run lasted for more than 30 years in fact, going back to the early 1980s.

3. Teamsters do the driving - Wearing a jacket and tie, the New York City's Theatrical Teamsters union, local 817 does all the driving.

4. The real starting point is in Moonachie, New Jersey - The warehouse where all the balloons and floats are built and stored is in New Jersey. They'll need to make their journey all the way to Manhattan's Upper West Side, which is the official start of the parade.

5. For the drivers, the parade kicks off on Wednesday night - The trip from New Jersey started last night around midnight. A convoy of semi-constructed floats made their way into New York to the staging area.

6. Getting back to Jersey, you’re on your own - The parade ends in front of Macy's in Herald Square. After that they turn North onto Seventh Avenue where they are partially deconstructed. As each float is ready they are then sent off on their own to make their journey to New Jersey without a police escort.

7. The worst job is driving Santa Claus - Most would say that the fixture of the Macy's Parade is Jolly old Saint Nick. After he is stationed at the Macy's in Herald Square for the holiday season. There he'll listen to countless kids telling him what they want for Christmas. That being said, no one wants the job of towing Santa. If you're towing him that means you're the one bringing up the rear of the parade. Also, it means you're the last one to leave New Jersey and the last one to get to the end. Considering all of this work started at midnight last night the team driving Santa will pretty much miss most of the day. Bummer right?