The “Dora the Explorer” balloon is inflated for a flight over the streets of New York City in the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

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

The parade employs 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 is actually the 98th edition of the parade, as the parade was canceled during World War II.

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

The Macy’s Studio painting room offers a burst of color for the Thanksgiving parade floats and balloons.

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Long before the parade marches through Manhattan, preparation work takes place in a huge warehouse in New Jersey, the Macy’s Studio. NPR’s Morning edition visited to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the holiday tradition comes together. The warehouse is a plain brick building from the outside that explodes with bright colors inside.

“When I come to work, sometimes it feels like I’m going to an amusement park,” said Kathleen Wright, production manager for Macy’s Studio.

Wednesday Addams and her brother Pugsley are three stories tall. They must be folded so that this float can fit through the Lincoln Tunnel and be transported to the starting line of the parade in New York City.

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Just inside the warehouse’s main entrance is a cart decorated in bright shades of green, orange, and purple. It contains characters from WednesdayThe Addams family Spinoff series on Netflix. The float features giant sculptures of Wednesday Addams and her brother Pugsley. They are about three stories high. Not only do the floats have to look good, they also have to be designed to be dismantled so they can be transported to the parade site.

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

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

How big is this Elf on the Shelf balloon? Look for Macy’s production manager Kathleen Wright in the photo below.

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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. Anyone who finds one can return it and receive a $50 gift card. The practice of releasing balloons was discontinued in 1932.

It will take more than half a million dollars worth of helium to keep all the balloons aloft.

Wright’s favorite parts of preparing for the parade are the little details that very few people would notice.

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