Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade unveils 6 new floats ahead of 95th annual celebration

MOONACHIE, New Jersey (WABC) -- With less than 10 days before the 95th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the celebration is trying to open up in ways it couldn't last year due to the pandemic.

The warehouse in Moonachie, New Jersey looks as intriguing and interesting as Willy Wonka's factory.

"These are hand sculpted, drivable stages," Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Executive Producer Will Coss said.

They are intricate works of art created by a team of carpenters, engineers, painters, electricians and then some.

There are six newcomers who will glide along the 2.5-mile route in New York City during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

A total of 28 floats will wow the in-person crowd.

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Last year due to the pandemic, folks watched a scaled down version from home.

Not so this time. Everyone is pulling out all the stops.

"From size, scale, spectacle to animation points, there are self-driving units, it's a real dynamic year, really excited about it," Coss said.

But getting to this point takes months -- 8 to 10, and in some cases, a year.

It all starts with an idea, then a sketch, followed by the crucial engineering phase.

"We start to figure out how we actually build it structurally so we can have people on top," Coss said.

The next step ... the team in Moonachie will break all the floats down. Each float will fold down to 12 feet by 8.5 feet. That's key in order for the floats to safely pass through the Lincoln Tunnel Wednesday night.

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"We convoy them into New York City the day before the parade, build them overnight on the Upper West Side and then we have magic," Coss said.

On the 95th anniversary of this iconic parade, Coss says it's going to be a lively day.

"It's been made with love," he said.

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