Inflating The Stars Of This Year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY – It was a beautiful day for a balloon inflation, and Patch braved mild weather and a festive crowd to observe one of New York City’s favorite annual spectacles: giant character balloons coming to life on Manhattan's streets in advance of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The iconic, larger-than-life balloons are inflated with helium on West 77th and West 81st Street – the south and north sides of the Museum of Natural History, respectively – by a talented team of professionals and volunteers.

It’s actually a lot of fun to be close to a giant balloon, even for the inveterate curmudgeon. The balloons are surprisingly large, and are kept stationary by an elaborate choreography of netting, weights, and rope in advance of their annual glide through the city.

Is that a castle in the background? No, it's only the Beresford, one of the prettiest buildings on Central Park West.

Although Spider-Man has previously appeared in the parade, this year's Spidey is a new take on an old favorite.

Some of the balloons are harder to photograph than others (as you'll see below), and the inflation is merely a preview, of course.

This year’s spectacle will feature 17 iconic balloons, 22 floats (which assemble on Central Park West), 15 “novelty and heritage inflatables,” 11 marching bands, 700 clowns (!), 5,000 volunteers, and performances by The War and Treaty, Lea Salonga, The Temptations, and Jimmy Fallon & The Roots. Headliners are actor and singer Jennifer Hudson, pop star Kylie Minogue, and Broadway icon Billy Porter.

You'll be upright soon, Smokey.

Rain is forecast, but the show will go on, weather be darned.

Security at major events in Manhattan is always a concern, but the NYPD is keeping an eye on things.

Macy's has a full rundown of all the balloons in this year's parade, which is the retailer's 98th November outing.

If you plan to watch at home, turn on your television. But if you decide to call up that cousin on Central Park West or take to the city's streets, the route begins at West 77th Street and Central Park West on the Upper West Side.

It continues down Central Park West, turning onto Central Park South at Columbus Circle. At 6th Avenue, the parade turns right, aiming for Macy's HQ in Herald Square at 34th Street, where it concludes.

The fun begins at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, and Patch has a handy how-to-watch guide here. Happy Thanksgiving!