Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Returns For 97th Year

New York City's Thanksgiving Day Parade returns for its 97th year, with dozens of high-flying balloons and celebrity guests.

Security around the celebration is especially tight due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Bradley Blackburn has the latest from the parade route.

The balloons are pumped up and ready to go, with Pikachu and Ronald McDonald all lined up.

It's a parade that's as much a Thanksgiving tradition as turkey and pumpkin pie.

"Oh, it's awesome to get out here and see these balloons. It brings me back to the old days of going out to see the Thanksgiving Day parade," said William Pitta, a Bay Shore resident.

The parade draws millions of spectators to Manhattan streets, and millions more on screens across the country.

Macy's said this year's parade includes 11 marching bands, 31 floats and at least 16 giant character balloons wrangled by hundreds of volunteers.

"Snoopy is one of our larger balloons. So that will have one of the most balloon handlers on it, about 90 balloon handlers," said Stephanie Senkevich, one balloon handler.

An assessment from federal and state law enforcement reviewed by CBS News warns about a heightened threat environment due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, especially around concerns about lone-wolf attacks on soft targets.

Thousands of NYPD officers will be positioned along the two and a half mile parade route.

City officials stress that there is no specific, credible threat against the parade. But they said they are on high alert for the parade, and for larger gatherings throughout the holiday season.