The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has become some notorious for some time now. The parade is set in New York, which is used to large processions as it is. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade is also a reason o joy as the ones who come to see the parade enjoy cartoon characters and icons just before their eyes.

Therefore the 82nd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade made its way through Manhattan streets under sunny skies today, as thousands of marchers carried giant balloons past throngs of holiday revelers cheering them along the route.

This year, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade announced to feature Buzz Lightyear, Horton and one of the Smurfs among its fraternity of floats. Though a press release said that Macy's was "thrilled to help the Smurfs celebrate their 50th anniversary," it might have something more to do with the live-action Alvin & the Chipmunks-style movie treatment being given to the Smurfs for the next holiday season.

Crews on Wednesday inflated the 13 giant balloons and 31 smaller ones. Each giant balloon requires more than 5,000 cubic feet of helium. Among the smaller balloons was a newcomer that pays tribute to graffiti artist Keith Haring, who died in 1990. The parade also was to feature 28 floats, 10 marching bands and performances by Miley Cyrus, Trace Adkins, James Taylor and the Radio City Rockettes.

Starting at 9 a.m., the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will go down Broadway, from 77th to 34th Street. Over 3.5 million people will get to see ten marching bands come on down, along with clowns, cheerleaders and 28 gigantic floats. Back in 1924, the annual Thanksgiving parade started by Louis Bamberger in Newark, New Jersey at the Bamberger's store was transferred to New York by Macy's. In New York, the employees marched to Macy's flagship store on 34th Street dressed in vibrant costumes.