About 8,000 people are currently marching through Manhattan, watched by “TODAY” hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie.

The parade started at 8:30 a.m. ET at West 77th Street and Central Park West and ends at 12 p.m. ET at the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street.

There are 4 miles of designated public viewing areas along the 2024 route.

View more details here.

Terribly talented actor Idina Menzel joins TODAY to discuss her sixth Thanksgiving Day Parade appearance, and talks about the movie premiere of “Wicked” and her new musical “Redwood.”

New Yorker Elizabeth Kahane has been photographing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from her apartment for more than 25 years. She spoke to the TODAY team about her new book titled “Come Join the Parade,” which showcases the parade photos she took.

Tony Spring, the CEO and chairman of Macy’s, joins TODAY to detail what happened in this year’s iconic Thanksgiving parade, how the company plans to handle Black Friday, and then shares his tips for the shopping event of the year!

The iconic balloons will be inflated prior to the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Six new balloons have been added this year, including Minnie Mouse, Extraordinary Noorah & The Elf on the Shelf and an all-new Spider-Man balloon

Participants gather under an inflatable Minnie Mouse as rain falls ahead of the start of the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City this morning.

Ahead of the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, creative director Brendan Kennedy TODAY gives a first look at some of the new floats of 2024, from the wilds at the Bronx Zoo to the candy cosmos of the Haribo float. NBC’s Dylan Dreyer reports for “TODAY.”

Kathleen Wright, director of production operations for Macy’s studios, joined TODAY to reveal how she works to make the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade a success.

Despite losses and challenges from Hurricane Helene, an East Tennessee State University marching band was able to soldier on and make it to this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. NBC News’ Joe Fryer reports.

Continuing last year’s tradition, Hoda Kotb will send Jenna Bush Hager a symbol during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade broadcast to let her know she is thinking of her.

The East Tennessee State University marching band will perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade after unexpected challenges from Hurricane Helene. NBC Nightly News heard from the school’s director of athletic bands about their inspiring journey.

Macy’s is giving a behind-the-scenes look at how the parade’s “Go Bowling” float was created before it made its Thanksgiving Day debut.

28 exciting entertainers, 11 musical marching bands, 28 clown crews and 11 performance groups will perform during the nearly four-hour parade.

Stars including Jennifer Hudson, Lea Salonga, T-Pain, Rachel Platten, Idina Menzel, Dan + Shay and The Temptations will perform, along with dancer and TikToker Charli D’Amelio and ballet stars Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia.

Members of WNBA champions the New York Liberty, along with mascot Ellie the Elephant, will also perform.

The best of Broadway will showcase their skills, including actors from the musicals “Death Becomes Her,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Outsiders.”

And not to be outdone, Santa Claus will complete the line-up on his famous sleigh, the largest float in the parade at 60 feet long, 20 feet wide and 3 1/2 stories high.

Six new balloons have been confirmed for this year’s parade, including Minnie Mouse, Extraordinary Noorah & The Elf on the Shelf and an all-new Spider-Man balloon inspired by the art of comic book artist John Romita Sr..Six new floats will also make their parade debut this year, including Haribo’s “Candy Cosmos,” Rao’s Homemade’s “Pasta Knight,” The Bronx Zoo’s “Wondrous World of Wildlife,” celebrating the zoo’s animals and beloved exhibits. and Netflix’s “Wednesday’s Feast,” featuring a likeness of Jenna Ortega from the hit show.

Three new ‘Balloonicles’ have also been created, smaller balloons that ride along the route on bicycles.

It’s officially been 100 years since the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade first took place. TODAY’s Al Roker shows what it takes to bring the parade to life and is then joined by the University of South Carolina Gamecocks’ Marching Band!

The parade begins at 8:30 a.m. ET at West 77th Street and Central Park West and ends at 12 p.m. ET at the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street.

There are 4 miles of designated public viewing areas along the 2024 parade route. Viewers are advised to arrive as early as 6 a.m. to get the best spots.

Central Park West: There are great views along Central Park West from West 75th to West 61st Street. However, there is no public viewing in Central Park West between West 59th and West 60th Streets.

6th street: The stretch of West 59th to West 38th Street offers the best views as close to the end of the parade as possible, but spectators should avoid the area on 6th Avenue between West 34th and West 38th Streets, where visibility is limited.

The weather forecast for Thursday in New York City calls for rain, so bring your ponchos – but leave your umbrellas at home – if you plan to watch the parade in person!

The parade will go on rain or shine as the Big Apple is forecast to experience drenching rain with temperatures in the 40s. Winds are forecast to be less than 10 miles per hour, allowing balloons to fly. The parade’s giant balloons cannot fly when maximum sustained winds reach 37 km/h or more or when gusts exceed 55 km/h.