The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off Thursday in New York City with a steady rain adding ponchos and umbrellas to the lineup of balloons, floats and star-studded performances. The annual holiday tradition features new Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, zoo and pasta-themed floats, performances from Jennifer Hudson and Idina Menzel, and more. The lineup is a far cry from the parade’s initial incarnation a century ago, which featured floats showing scenes from Mother Goose, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, Miss Muffet and the Spider, and other fairy tales.
