Hey there, it's Stephen Dubner.

Happy Thanksgiving.

The episode you're about to hear was originally published in 2024, and it is about as Thanksgiving as it gets.

We have updated facts and figures where needed.

As always, thanks for listening.

I really only started paying attention to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade about 10 years ago when my family and I moved into the neighborhood where the parade starts and where the night before they stage everything. This is on

the Upper West Side of Manhattan. They take over two extra wide streets to lay out the giant

balloons. Each balloon arrives folded up flat in its own small rolling cart. It gets unpacked,

unfolded, laid out on the pavement, and then comes the helium.

There's a truck nearby with big helium canisters stacked horizontally on a rack.

Up close, the balloons are really big.

You see this as soon as they start drinking up some helium and puff up to full size.

But tonight is Wednesday, the night before the parade, inflation night, they call it.

So the balloons aren't allowed to rise to parade height.

Each one has a net thrown across the top and the net is held down by sandbags.

If you happen to be passing by on foot, this can provide an unusual

view of your favorite balloon character, a bulging eyeball, a massive derrier, some very chubby

fingers. Many thousands of people come see the balloons on inflation night. It is an unusual

and joyful scene for the visitors and the

locals. For many people, myself included, it is the best New York night of the year. A lot of people

who live on these blocks throw inflation parties up in their apartments. And when you look

straight down out of your window,

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