Thousands of people are counting down to the big Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon.
Forty-nine balloons were being tethered Wednesday to two 2,000-pound trucks outside of the American Museum of Natural History on 79th Street and Columbus Avenue in Manhattan.
New balloons this year include Paddington Bear, Pikachu, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and Thomas the Tank Engine.
The volume of helium used in the parade is enough to fill 600,000 to 700,000 Mylar party balloons.