Thousands of people lined the New York City streets amid tight security for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Charlie Brown led the signature large inflatable balloons as the parade kicked off Thursday morning with the spraying of confetti and a ceremonial ribbon-cutting. Costumed characters mingled with revelers and crowds cheered as clowns on bicycles rode by carrying bundles of balloons.

Crowds, some as many as 10 deep, lined the parade route, which starts on Manhattan's Upper West Side and makes its way down to Macy's flagship store on 34th Street.

More than 80 sanitation trucks filled with sand were placed at intersections and other places as barriers against any kind of attack.

Officers carrying assault rifles and bomb-sniffing dogs also lined the parade route, along with plainclothes officers in the crowd.

No cars were allowed to cross the parade route for the first time in 90 years. This change came after terrorist propaganda named the parade as a potential target. But police stress that there was no credible threat to the parade or the city.