The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has kicked off in New York, drawing tens of thousands of spectators to the annual extravaganza.

The parade opened with Snoopy, the beloved dog from the "Charlie Brown" stories. More traditional icons including the Statue of Liberty were also painted on the massive balloons. As always, Santa Claus made an appearance at the parade, which started on Central Park West. Thursday's parade is the 84th since it made its debut in 1924. As millions more watched the live broadcast on television, revellers gathered nationwide for other parades in cities such as Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia.