From the bottom of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space, characters soar above New York as they take part in the city’s 96th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
As always, the event was an exercise in absurd joy, spawning the likes of Papa Smurf, SpongeBob SquarePants, and some Pokémon towering over the sky.
Sky News rounded up some of the best photos from Thursday’s event as locals and tourists gathered on the streets and in front of their high-rise windows to watch.
Paw Patrol is on call at all times to ensure the event runs smoothly
Pikachu attended the occasion wearing a fancy festive scarf
Hey, here I go, here I go!
Boss Baby looks ready for business
Snoopy celebrates NASA’s latest moon launch in a spacesuit
he is behind you…
Some say Papa Smurf is older than Thanksgiving itself
Goku in Dragon Ball Z Has the Most Gorgeous Hair in Parade
There’s entertainment on the ground too – but all eyes are on Bluey the cartoon dog
Mickey Mouse is also on the ground
Not to be confused with Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, this is Pillsbury Doughboy
Stewart represented the Minions at the event
SpongeBob SquarePants on deck as Greg Heffley of Diary of a Wimpy Kid looks on
As has been a tradition since 1924, Santa is there to prove it’s more than just balloons