John Piper is vice president of Macy’s studio and so-called Head Balloonatic. He said his work is fun all the time.

“Or at least it seems that way. It’s a lot of work. All year long, the artists at the Macy’s Studio build these floats. We create them from scratch. I have the finest carpenters, and welders and metal workers and sculptors and painters and illustrators all collaborating together,” said Piper.

The floats are supposed to showcase the parade’s commercial sponsors in time for the start of the Christmas season. But Amy Kule, the event producer, said there’s more to it than that.

“And that is to maintain the beauty and the majesty of this parade. And this parade is always about giving back and it’s about entertaining."

But most important, it’s about leaving it intact for the next generation.

With only days left until Thankgiving, New Yorkers and Americans can look forward to a Thanksgiving Day Parade that's a visual feast “with all the trimmings.”