Spectacular Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The perennial ballon favorites were out – including Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants – as the festive parade made its way from Central Park at 9am to Macy's in Herald Square under clear and sunny skies.

Making its parade debut, was Ice Age's Scrat - the persistent squirrel along his with his elusive acorn - boasting a tail the size of a school bus.  

Record crowds were expected to swarm Manhattan sidewalks and rooftops to glimpse the spectacle as the holiday season was ushered in, with performances from Mariah Carey, Trey Songz, Jordin Sparks and Panic! At the Disco

New York officials said around 3.5million spectators would turn out for the city's signature parade, now in its 89th year. Security was heavy, with more than 2,500 officers stationed along the parade's route - the largest number of officers the police department has ever assigned to the event. 

Onlookers lined the 2.5 mile route for the parade, which started at 9am at Central Park West and 77th Street on the Upper West Side and headed south to Macy's flagship store at 34th Street and 7th Avenue, in Herald Square, where it concluded.  

Spectators cheered along bands, dancers and veteran balloons, including Snoopy, Hello Kitty, Elf of the Shelf and Ronald McDonald - although Spider-Man was nowhere in sight. Each year also sees a new balloon or two added to the line-up, such as Scrat this year.

However, little is known about Macy's selection process - only that the parade's organizers look for characters with pop culture relevance. According to Studio360, they 'are always on the lookout for what is popular with kids, teens and adults. The new balloons in the line up reflect that.'

And around 50 million people around the world were expected to watch the televised parade, as dozens of giant helium balloons depicting popular cartoon characters, accompanied by floats, volunteers and entertainers, made their way through the city.

But this year's event was being held under tight security in the wake of terror attacks in Paris, with officials saying it was the most heavily policed parade in the city's history.

Police Commissioner William Bratton said more than 2,500 officers would be stationed along the parade route for the Thanksgiving Day festivities - the largest number the New York Police Department has ever assigned to the event.  

(dailymail.co.uk)