Michael Laino: The Man Behind New York’s Biggest Events

NEW YORK — Few people shape what New York looks like on its biggest days more than the ones who build the stages. Most nights of the year, the people on this float are working behind the barricades. They build the stages, hang the lights and run the logistics of New York’s biggest parades, concerts and conventions. On October 31 they rode up Sixth Avenue instead, in costume, past crowds lined from Canal Street to 15th Street.

The float was the New York City Special Events float. Michael Laino, founder of Parade Float Rentals and a 30-year veteran of live-event production, designed it as a tribute to the industry’s crews. “On this float, we have all the people from New York City that make the biggest events in New York City happen,” Laino told 1NFLUENC3 from the deck as the parade began. “From New York City Times Square, to the Thanksgiving Day Parade, to every parade you can imagine.”

According to Laino’s company, the float carries no corporate logos, advertising or promotions. It is a thank-you to the event professionals the public rarely sees.

The builder behind the float

Laino grew up in New York City in a bilingual Puerto Rican household. He graduated from LaSalle Military Academy and studied business at the New York Institute of Technology. He has spent more than three decades building companies around live events and street-level infrastructure:

• Mobile Stage Network: the exclusive U.S. distributor for Stagemobil mobile stages. It has sold more than 100 units and runs its own rental fleet.
• Parade Float Rentals: a national builder of custom parade floats, with in-house branding and fabrication.
• Trailer Manufacturers Inc.: custom trailers, plus repairs, parts and rentals.
• Holiday Street Lights Inc.: large-scale decorative lighting for municipalities and Business Improvement Districts. Its newest arm, Solar Street Lightings, focuses on solar-powered lighting.

His companies have supported the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, the Dominican Day Parade, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the NYC Pride March and New Year’s Eve in Times Square. For more than a decade, Mobile Stage Network supplied the mobile stage for The Today Show’s Summer Concert Series. Brand clients include Macy’s, PepsiCo, JetBlue, Walmart, JPMorgan Chase and Marriott International.

On this float, we have all the people from New York City that make the biggest events in New York City happen.

— Michael Laino

The Halloween float is a yearly tradition for Parade Float Rentals, built around each parade’s theme. This year’s theme was “Body & Soul,” and the float’s lit side panels carried it in script above glowing pumpkins and skulls.

On the float, Laino described the night as giving back. “We are so filled with gratitude to invite all the people that make it happen on Halloween,” he said. “Just give back and say, hey, we love you.” He closed with a thank-you to the crowd: “Thank you for making New York City the biggest city in the world for special events anywhere.”

A parade anyone can join

The Village Halloween Parade began in 1974. Puppeteer Ralph Lee started it as a walk for his children and their friends in the West Village. Artist Jeanne Fleming took over in the 1980s and is still the parade’s artistic and producing director. It now draws an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 marchers and hundreds of thousands of spectators.

The 2026 edition, the parade’s 53rd, stepped off at 7 p.m. at Canal Street and ran north on Sixth Avenue to 15th Street. Anyone in costume can march, with no registration needed. Joey Arias was the grand marshal, and NY1 carried the parade live.

From the float’s deck, the night looked like the whole city in costume. There were inflatable aliens and sumo wrestlers, a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, horned creatures carrying staffs, and a giant Starry Night puppet. A brass band marched under a “Came to Party” banner. As the float turned north, the Empire State Building came into view, lit up at the top of the avenue.

The talk-show host in the elf suit

One of the most-photographed costumes near the float was a green Santa’s Helper suit with candy-striped tights. Inside was Todd Wharton, creator and host of FaceTime with Todd Wharton, which he calls the number one independent talk show in New York. He launched it in February 2021, and it is now in its sixth season with more than 1,500 celebrity interviews. “What I do is always fun, even though it’s work,” he said. “It’s the first day I’m not working, and it feels good to be out here dancing.”

Asked how he made it in New York, Wharton answered briefly: “Hard work. Five years.” Then: “Here we are five years later, and I’m having a great time meeting people like you.”

If you’re not living a passionate life, then whose life are you living?

— Todd Wharton

His guest list includes Jimmy Fallon, A’ja Wilson and William Shatner, “and the list goes on,” he said. The lesson from interviewing famous people is a simple one: “They’re human beings. When you interview them, make sure you know who they are, make sure you do your research. But at the end of the day, treat them like people.”

Asked for one piece of advice, Wharton said: “If you’re not living a passionate life, then whose life are you living?” Wharton is on Instagram at @toddwhartonofficial.

After the floats pass

The people on Laino’s float spend most of the year making sure other people’s nights go to plan. On Halloween, Laino gave them a view the public usually has: the street, in costume, with the city cheering.

1NFLUENC3 covered the 2026 Village Halloween Parade from the New York City Special Events float. Interviews by Richie Hosein. Video by Jason Schwartz for 1NFLUENC3 Media.