What is Thanksgiving without the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? The annual march through Manhattan -- terminating at Macy's Department Store -- has delighted New Yorkers for a century and been a part of the American tradition of Thanksgiving since it was first broadcast nationally on television in the 1950s.

Macy's began the parade in 1924 as a way to promote the new Seventh Avenue extension of their Herald Square location -- and to overshadow its department store rival Gimbel's. That first parade had many of the hallmarks of our modern parade -- from floats to Santa Claus - however it was much longer. Six miles!

One major tradition is thankfully gone -- releasing the parade balloons into the air and encouraging New Yorkers to chase after them. After one near disaster in 1932 (airplane, meet balloon zebra) this curious contest was discontinued.

By the late 1930s, the real world began seeping into the fairy-tale parade route, and during World War II, the parade was cancelled entirely -- a prohibition kicked off in a rather violent balloon deflation ceremony led by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.

Television would change the parade -- and the holiday -- forever. With NBC broadcasting starting in the 1950s, people could tune in from across the country, creating more opportunities to promote .... everything!

By the 1970s, the parade was a festival of commercialism, a beloved kitsch-fest featuring lip-syncing vocalists, ever larger balloons, morning show hosts and product placements embedded within other product placements.

But harsh winds and cold could be detrimental to the balloons and, sometimes, to the bystanders. Why will you never see a Cat In The Hat balloon in the parade again?

FEATURING: A cast of B and C list celebrities, thousands of out-of-town marching bands and a few favorite balloons (Snoopy, Underdog, the Tin Man and more)

Visit the website for pictures and other information about the parade

Read Greg's extensive article on the New York City connections of the film Miracle on 34th Street

The energy and personality of New York City runs through its local businesses -- mom-and-pop shops, independently run stores and restaurants, often family run operations.

We live in a world of chain stores, franchises, corporate run operations and online retailers that have run many of these kinds of stores out of business. But what is New York without its diners, its small book shops, its curious antique stores and its historic delis?

These kinds of shops contribute to the health of a neighborhood. And today we're celebrating them with Nicolas Heller, better known to his 1.4 million Instagram followers as New York Nico, "the unofficial talent scout of New York City."

But he's also helped lift up small businesses and even helped them survive through the pandemic and beyond.

And now Heller's new book New York Nico's Guide to NYC, he highlights 100 of his favorite small business from all five boroughs. So we thought we'd geek out with him for about an hour, talking about our favorite small places in the city.

FEATURING: Astor Place Hairstylists, Pearl River Mart, Katz Deli, Casa Amadeo, Fishs Eddy, DeFonte's in Red Hook and many, many more

And remember to shop local this holiday season!

The young socialite Dorothy Arnold seemingly led a charmed and privileged life. The niece of a Supreme Court justice, Dorothy was the belle of 1900s New York, an attractive and vibrant young woman living on the Upper East Side with her family. She hoped to become a published magazine writer and perhaps someday live by herself in Greenwich Village.

But on December 12, 1910, while running errands in the neighborhood of Madison Square Park, Dorothy Arnold — simply vanished.

In this investigative new podcast, we look at the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, from the mysterious clues left in her fireplace to the suspicious behavior exhibited by her family.

This mystery captivated New Yorkers for decades as revelations and twists to the story continued to emerge. As one newspaper described it: “There is general agreement among police officials that the case is in a class by itself.”

ALSO: What secrets lurk in the infamous Pennsylvania ‘House of Mystery’? And could a sacred object found in Texas hold the key to solving the crime?

Visit the website to see photographs and images related to this show

A version of this show was originally released in May 2016 (episode 205). It has been newly reedited and remastered.