(Reuters] – Spectators again lined Manhattan’s streets for Thursday’s Macy’s (NYSE) Thanksgiving Day Parade. This was after last year’s event was cut down and closed to public due to coronavirus pandemic.

While other cities in the United States hold parades too, New York’s has been a part of holiday traditions for 50 million people. According to Macy’s, the event is televised throughout the nation to approximately 50 million viewers before their Thanksgiving dinner.

The main draw is the giant, inflatable helium balloons that depict cartoon characters and toys. This year, there are newcomers like Grogu (also known as Baby Yoda in Star Wars) and Ada Twist Scientist, who are young scientists from Netflix.

According to Macy’s website, Snoopy the Astronaut appeared again in this year’s parade. It was the ninth Snoopy version.

Macy’s stated that there were 15 balloons being steered by marchers with tethers. One of the longest was 72 feet in length (22 meters).

There were 28 floats that drove the 2.5-mile route (4km) between dancers or marching bands to Macy’s Store on 34th Street. They featured popular characters such as Miss America, Miss America and Sesame Street Muppets.

The event is a broadcast for the majority of Americans, but it’s an annual highlight in New York City, along with New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day and the LGBTQ Pride parade. New York Police do not provide estimates on crowd size, however boosters for such events say that they attract millions of spectators.

The numbers could be exaggerated just like the balloons. Manhattan has a total population of 1.6 million people, and the city is 8.4 millions.