NEW YORK - Security will be extremely tight at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday.

Thousands of officers will be stationed along the route with bomb sniffing dogs and radiation detection pagers.

Sand trucks will also block off intersections.

 

The parade steps off from 76th Street and Central Park West at 9 a.m., and ends outside Macy's flagship store in Herald Square.

No vehicular traffic is allowed at any time during the parade.

But there will be five pedestrian crossings on 6th Avenue - they are located at 37th, 39th, 44th, 52nd, and 57th streets. 

The NYPD says paradegoers will be very well protected.

If you can't wait to see the Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, you can get a preview on the Upper West Side Wednesday.

The parade's 16 giant balloons will be inflated on Columbus Avenue starting at 1 p.m.

Popular characters this year include Charlie Brown, Spongebob Squarepants, and the Grinch.

If you want to see the inflation, you have to enter at 73rd Street and Columbus Avenue, where you will be directed to the viewing area.