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New York kicks off Thanksgiving parade
 The Spongebob Squarepants balloon makes its second parade appearance. RELATED
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSNEW YORK (CNN) -- Millions of spectators turned out for the 79th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, as its floats and giant balloons made their way through the streets of New York City. Before the event began, fears of fierce wind, rain showers and snowstorms had police and city officials considering grounding the giant balloons to avoid accidents. New York police commissioner Ray Kelly said much attention was being paid to each balloon. "We're very much concerned about it and I think it's going to be a safe and very peaceful day," Kelly said. Weather has bungled balloons in the past, most notably in 1997, when heavy winds sent The Cat in the Hat balloon plowing into a lamppost that toppled onto four people. One woman suffered permanent brain damage. Since then, Macy's has implemented improved training for the approximately 1,700 people who help handle and direct the massive balloons. (Watch how balloon handlers train -- 2:05) The parade, which began in 1924, is expected to draw 2.5 million spectators and 44 million television viewers, according to the retailer. If intense winds become a problem, police officers traveling with the balloons will decide whether to ground the helium-filled characters. Mike Giurici, a veteran parade pilot, said the emergency landing procedures are practiced three times a week. It typically takes about five minutes to ground a balloon, he said. The training, which is monitored by New York City police, includes watching videos and reading directions, said John Piper, vice president of Macy's Parade Studio. The training is mandatory for about 300 of Macy's "flight-team members," but only two-thirds of handlers have marched in previous parades or completed the field training in which they participate in handling simulations, Piper said. The parade's 32 balloons -- which include Big Bird, Humpty Dumpty and Chicken Little -- require between 40 and 60 handlers each, according to the Macy's parade Web site. 
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