Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Kicks off in NYC

Paradegoers – and watchers of the NBC broadcast – were treated to pop-culture mainstays Mickey Mouse and Snoopy balloons, of course, as well as 10 new balloons and floats, including an Angry Birds character and the squirrel from the hit movie “Ice Age”.

Pamela and Tom Popp of Ridgefield, New Jersey said they’ve come to the city every year for the parade for at least 20 years.

It marks the 89th year of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Check out pictures from the event below.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday night, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “I think people are coming here from all over the city, all over the metropolitan region, all over the country to be a part of this parade”.

As millions of people in the US prepare for Thanksgiving, security remains tight in NY ahead of the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The officials spoke as families streamed into the Upper West Side to watch Macy’s workers inflate parade balloons along Central Park West.

Police walked alongside numerous parade groups and helicopters hovered overhead amid the enhanced security following the November 13 attacks in Paris. It snakes through 2.5 miles of Manhattan with giant balloons and hundreds of participants, ushering in both the USA holiday season and the busiest time of year to travel.

At the White House, President Barack Obama spent a quiet holiday with a traditional meal. A record number of police officers were patrolling the parade as security is on a high alert after the terror attacks in Paris and threats made to the city.

It has been a NY tradition since 1924. No other incidents were reported, police said. “They’re doing what they do to try and create fear, to try and change us”. “We refuse to do that”. “The police officers with guns in Times Square heighten your awareness”, said 50-year old Debbie Irey, a tourist from Salem, Oregon.