Thousands of people thronged the streets of Manhattan in New York on Thursady on the occasion of the 85th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Huge helium balloons, regarded as the special attraction of the event, floated along the street, attracting children and adults alike. Every year, new balloon designs are introduced.

This year, Macy's introduced a 41-foot-tall balloon in the form of Paul Frank's sock puppet-inspired monkey, Julius.

Apart from this one, there were many other balloons shaped in the forms of SpongeBob SquarePants, Snoopy, Spider-Man, and many other cartoon characters.

Reuters reported that there were also offbeat new additions like film director Tim Burton's B., a creepy but cute boy stitched from discarded birthday balloons.

People from all over the city and the United States come to watch balloons.

However, creating the balloons is regarded as a very tedious process. Balloon engineers design the sketches and evaluate the aerodynamics. Then, a clay model exactly to scale is created. Balloon creators work closely with the character creators to ensure likeness.

Once assembled, the balloon undergoes a series of tests to make sure that there are no leaks and that it meets proper safety regulations.

Take a look at the 2011 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Celebration:

Giant Balloons Dazzle Onlookers During the 85th Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Buzz Lightyear balloon floats down Central Park West during the 85th Macy's Thanksgiving day parade in New York. Reuters
Giant Balloons Dazzle Onlookers During the 85th Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade
The "Julius the Monkey" balloon floats through Times Square during the 85th annual Macy's Thanksgiving day parade in New York. Reuters
Giant Balloons Dazzle Onlookers During the 85th Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade
Santa Claus rides on his sleigh down Central Park West during the 85th Macy's Thanksgiving day parade in New York. Reuters
Giant Balloons Dazzle Onlookers During the 85th Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Spongebob Squarepants balloon floats through Times Square during the 85th annual Macy's Thanksgiving day parade in New York. Reuters
Giant Balloons Dazzle Onlookers During the 85th Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Smurf balloon floats down 6th Avenue during the 85th annual Macy's Thanksgiving day parade in New York. Reuters
Giant Balloons Dazzle Onlookers During the 85th Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Super Cute Hello Kitty balloon floats down Central Park West during the 85th Macy's Thanksgiving day parade in New York. Reuters
Giant Balloons Dazzle Onlookers During the 85th Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Mickey Mouse balloon floats through Times Square during the 85th Macy's Thanksgiving day parade in New York. Reuters
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