'Twas the Day Before Thanksgiving...

And all through the city, the workers were hopping, so the parade would be pretty.

So sue me, I'm no poet.  As we are missing the parade due to travel this year, I dropped by the neighborhood the day before, to take some pictures of the set-up.

As I walked toward Macys from the south, I could see that Broadway was blocked off in front of the store.

Here's a closer look, the street was filled with trailers and support vehicles.

More Pictures after the jump!

A couple cast members from Cirque du Soleil: Wintuk played to the crowds.  

The guy in the blue jacket is handing out flyers with ticket information.

Nearby, road boxes full of gear waited.

Then I turned the corner onto 34th street and saw the main set-up:

This is all right across from the 34th Street entrance.

Yes, that's where all the dance numbers happen etc, it's the end of the parade.

Across the street is the entrance to the store, the backdrop for the filming:

I took that last picture standing next to this pile of gear:

More details: barriers for the crowds on Thanksgiving morning:

Cables run along the street, carrying power to all the cameras, lights and mics:

Parts of the Macy's facade had a last minute paint job.

The other side of the scaffolding

Is it me, or does that look like a teleprompter, or some kind of script, in the center?  I like that you can see the guys checking things up in the booth.

There.  Now I won't feel like I'm missing a thing.