PARADE: This year is the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with 34 giant balloons, 28 floats, 26 performers, 11 marching bands, 32 clown crews and nine performance groups.

The route is 2.5 miles through the heart of New York City.

The iconic balloons were first introduced in 1928, envisioned as “upside-down marionettes” handled by people on the ground. There were eight introduced in 1928 and seven in 1929, five in 1930, five more in 1931, six in 1932, seven in 1933 and seven in 1934 — when Disney balloons were first added, like Mickey Mouse, the Three Little Pigs, Pluto and the Big Bad Wolf.

Donald Duck came in 1935, with four other balloons. Three more came the next year, then five more, three more and then two — including Santa Claus.

Additions this year will include the second version of Buzz Lightyear, along with Mario from Nintendo, PAC-MAN and Shrek’s Onion Carriage.

Disney characters have remained favorites over the years, as have the Peanuts family, with Snoopy making appearances in eight different balloon forms. He’s been an astronaut, a beagle scout, a flying ace, a skater and he’s been accompanied by his little yellow bird friend Woodstock a few times, too.

Balloons have included Popeye, Bullwinkle Moose, Smokey Bear, Weeble, Kermit the Frog, Superman, Woody Woodpecker, Garfield, Raggedy Ann, Betty Boop, Olive Oyl and Swee’Pea, Spiderman, Snuggle Bear, Big Bird, Bugs Bunny, Bart Simpson, The Cat in the Hat, Blues Clues, Curious George, Pikachu, Charlie Brown, Super Grover, SpongeBob SquarePants, Scooby Doo, Horton the Elephant, Hello Kitty, The Elf on the Shelf, Pillsbury Doughboy, Trolls, Olaf, Green Eggs and Ham, Grogu, Minnie Mouse and more.