Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Live Stream 2015: Start Time, Map And How To Watch New York City Celebration

On Thanksgiving, the parade comes before the food. More than 50 million people across the United States are expected to tune in to watch Macy's famous Thanksgiving Day Parade, hosted in New York City for the 89th time. Are you planning to join them?

This year's event will include balloons of characters like Hello Kitty, Pikachu, Spongebob Squarepants and Toothless -- all taller than a three-story building and requiring dozens of handlers. They'll be mixed in with parade floats like a 21-foot-wide Tom Turkey by Macy's, the 1-2-3 Sesame Street stoop and a Winter Wonderland in Central Park by Delta Air Lines. Marching bands from states as far away as Michigan and Florida will provide a soundtrack, as will performers like Pat Benatar, Mariah Carey and Panic At The Disco.

And, of course, everything will end with Santa Claus' sleigh.

“The 89th edition of Macy’s famed holiday procession promises to deliver an unrivaled spectacle of magic for millions of spectators lining the streets of New York City and millions more watching it unfold in homes across the nation,” executive producer Amy Kule said in a news release, adding that it "will continue to delight audiences of all ages, as together we celebrate the start of the holiday season."

Start time: 9 a.m., though if you're planning to camp out to watch the parade in person you should get there by 6. It runs through noon.

Route: The parade starts at 77th Street and 8th Avenue and travels along Central Park West before turning onto 59th Street. It hooks down 6th Avenue and goes on 34th Street before stopping at Macy's on 7th Avenue. See the map below:

Live streams: NBC will broadcast the parade from 9 a.m. to noon in all time zones in an event hosted by Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker. No TV? No problem -- NBC has a live stream of its own here, though it requires a cable subscription.

Last year, Macy's live streamed the parade on its website here. EarthCam won't show the musical performances, but you can see all the floats as they go by Columbus Circle on the website here.