The giant balloons may be flying at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but the stars will be on street.

Grimace, arguably the coolest McDonals’d character, is finally getting the recognition he deserves.

Throngs of spectators have lined the streets of New York as colorful, high-flying balloons help usher in the holiday season at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a holiday tradition for almost 100 years.

The debut of a giant “Bluey” balloon, Lea Michele and the Broadway cast of “Funny Girl” and the legendary Dionne Warwick are some of the highlights slated for this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Giant balloons once again wafted through miles of Manhattan, high school and college marching bands from around the country were back, and so were the crowds at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will return to its pre-pandemic form this year, with its route restored through Manhattan, high-flying helium balloons once again pulled by handlers and crowds welcomed back to cheer them on.

The Boss Baby balloon is deflated as it ends its appearance during the modified Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. The annual parade goes on but only after great changes as compared to previous years due to the current deadly pandemic. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)NEW YORK – The balloons were in the sky and the marching bands took to the streets for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, but coronavirus restrictions meant it was without the throngs of people usually scrambling for a view. Even with the pandemic protocols, the fact that the parade took place made it a rare festivity in a city that has seen most of its major events cancelled over the last year because of the virus. The parade organizers recognized that reality, including representatives of some of the New York City parades that hadn't been able to happen — the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Mermaid Parade, the Puerto Rican Day Parade and NYC Pride March.

(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)(AP) – The pandemic is turning this into a holiday shopping season like no other. And with more people shopping online, stores are doing double duty as shipping centers to try to get gifts to doorsteps as fast as possible. Meanwhile, Best Buy says that 340 of its stores are being specially designated to handle a higher volume of online orders, though all its stores ship e-commerce packages. Its goal: to have the 340 stores ship more than 70% of its ship-from-store units during the holiday quarter. Typically, 25% of holiday shopping is based on impulse, according to Marshal Cohen, chief industry advisor at NPD Group, a market research firm.

FILE - Santa Claus waves during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Nov. 28, 2019, in New York. Macy's said Santa Claus won't be greeting kids at its flagship New York store this year due to the coronavirus, interrupting a holiday tradition started nearly 160 years ago. However, Macy's said the jolly old man will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. But he will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, the company said. Macy's has been using Santa Claus to draw crowds to its New York store since the early 1860s, calling itself “The Home of Santa Claus" for decades.

How much do you know about Thanksgiving Day parades?