NEW YORK (AP) — Beloved characters like Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants will take to the skies above New York City Thursday while bands march along the streets below as the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ushers in the holiday season.

The parade starts on Manhattan’s upper west side and makes its way alongside Central Park in front of big crowds and a national television audience before ending up in front of Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street.