Thanksgiving Day Parade includes new floats, stars and acrobatics

The 88th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off Thursday with musical performances and new giant balloon characters among an entourage of 3-story-high floats that launch the holiday season for millions across the nation.

The parade begins at 9 a.m. and takes a 21/2-mile route starting at 77th Street and Central Park West, heading south to 59th Street, then onto Sixth Avenue and ending at the flagship Macy's at 34th Street and Broadway.

Participants, from clowns, balloon handlers, marching band members, cheerleaders, dancers and celebrities, will number about 8,000. The parade will be televised nationally to some 50 million viewers.

Leading the parade will be Little League pitcher Mo'ne Ikea Davis, 13, of Philadelphia, who tossed a shutout for the Taney Dragons in August during the Little League World Series.

The parade will feature 16 giant helium balloons with several new cartoon characters, including Paddington bear, Thomas the Tank Engine, Pokemon Pikachu and lava-spewing Skylander Eruptor.

Traditional balloon favorites include Tom the Turkey, SpiderMan, Sponge Bob Square Pants, Hello Kitty and the Smurfs. They will warm up the 3.5 million people expected along the parade route for the finale when Santa Claus rides in on his sleigh from the North Pole.

Back this year for a second time is Cirque du Soleil's Dreamseeker float -- among the parade's largest. A giant fantasy dream-like wooden ship with expanding hulking wings, the vessel is adorned with a ring of clouds that seems to have the boat floating in air along with the parade's balloons.

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Riding and performing on the 52-foot-long float will be 22 jugglers, contortionists, trampoline artists, acrobats and characters.

The parade also will showcase an A-list of musical entertainers and celebrities, including bands Needtobreathe, Kiss, The American Authors and Nick Jonas.

A parade spokeswoman said rain or snow or shine, balloons will be inflated Wednesday from 3 to 10 p.m. on 77th and 81st streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue at the American Museum of Natural History.