It never gets old: Onlookers marvel over the balloons of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
NEW YORK -- The pre-Thanksgiving festivities were underway Wednesday with the annual balloon inflation for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The event caused street closures on the Upper West Side -- Central Park West to Columbus Avenue, from 72nd to 86th streets. The closures also include the 79th Street transverse.
With a rush of helium, Ronald McDonald came back to life, as tiny spectators watched in awe.
"It's really cool. They blow up so fast. It's very satisfying," said Harper Resnick of Long Island.
"There's nothing like that delight. Seeing the delight through their eyes is so thrilling," Christie Lee said.
"This is our second year here. We're so excited to be here. It's so incredible and it's another reminder of how vibrant this city is," added Megan Chan of the Upper West Side.
Hundreds of people from across New York and around the country crowded around the American Museum of Natural History on Wednesday to catch a glimpse of the balloons before they take flight on Thursday.
"We drove all the way from Virginia," Anderson Dahdouh said.
When asked what it's like to bring his children to something so iconic, Dahdouh said, "It's something we've been dreaming about and once the kids started watching the parade every year, we decided to bring the tradition to life. So, we're excited to see what it's going to be like for them."
Many parents were reliving their childhood through their children's eyes.
"It's awesome to get out here and get to see these balloons. It's nice. Brings me back to the old days of going to the Thanksgiving parade," Bay Shore resident William Pitta said.
"I never got to do this when I was a kid, so I wanted to take my kids so they can experience this," said Alison Licata, from Oldbridge, New Jersey. "A lot of walking, but we had a good day."
Watch Jessica Moore's report
"TV makes it look gigantic, but when you're right next to them, it's larger than life!" added Gabriel Rodriguez of Key West, Florida.
But perhaps no one is more excited than Dashawn Bethea, one of the 90 balloon handlers responsible for keeping Pikachu and Eevee flying high.
"To be actually in it, watching live for 22 years and now to be in the parade, it's like a dream come true. I never thought I'd be a part of it. I love this parade so much," Bethea said.
The parade will feature 25 balloons, including six brand new characters like Po from "Kung Fu Panda," "Beagle Scout Snoopy" and "Leo."
Every one of the giant balloons will have 90 handlers keeping them afloat.
Teams inflate the balloons a day before the parade, but a float takes about four months to construct.
The 97th year of the parade will be sweeter with not one but two new candy-themed creations. Also making an appearance from the silver screen are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, straight from the summer hit "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" from Paramount Pictures.
Six balloonicles, a total of 31 floats, 18 performers, 29 clown crews and 11 marching bands round out this year's lineup.
The parade studio team puts in more than 8,000 hours of work to make all of this magic come together.
For the first time ever, the parade is starting a half hour earlier -- 8:30 a.m. Thursday across every time zone.