The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is here, and the stars are ready to celebrate.

The 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade returned Thursday for its annual holiday tradition, starting 30 minutes earlier on the streets of New York City and featuring fan-favorite balloons like Chase from "Paw Patrol" and SpongeBob as well as new balloons like Beagle Scout Snoopy and Po from "Kung Fu Panda."

All along Central Park West on Thursday, throngs of people gathered for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and packed street corners or sat on folding chairs set up since dawn. They wedged themselves on slivers of sidewalk, and some placed their toddlers atop food carts for a better view.