AP PHOTOS: A safe and secure Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
By The Associated Press, Associated Press
Nov 24, 2016 12:15 PM CST
Spectators watch from balconies along Central Park South as the Pillsbury Doughboy balloon passes during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)   (Associated Press)

The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, led by a giant inflatable Charlie Brown balloon, stepped off Thursday amid heavy crowds and a strong police presence. Costumed characters mingled with revelers and crowds cheered as clowns on bicycles rode by carrying bundles of balloons. Security measures this year included sanitation trucks filled with sand placed at intersections, bomb-sniffing dogs and portable radiation detectors. And the crowd seemed grateful for the extra security. Spectators yelled, "Thank you!" to passing police officers, including the New York Police Department marching band.

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