Balloons, bands and, of course, Santa Claus participated in the McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which marched down State Street Thursday morning.
Some parade goers make it part of their Thanksgiving Day tradition, but others- like first timer Theresa Lakomek- needed prompting.
"I've been promising her for 3 years that I would come-- and I totally stay in bed! And this year we did it," said Lakomek.
"It's a log fun, seeing a lot of smiles and kids having fun," said the Globetrotters' Hot Shot Branch.
Originally called the Christmas Caravan in the 1930s, the Thanksgiving Parade was created to help lift the spirits of residents suffering through the Great Depression. With today's tough economic times, it was no different.
"We came out here giving thanks for what we have and for what the city does," spectator Lenn Mastalski said.
"I'm fortunate to have a job at this time of unemployment. There's a lot of people that don't have health insurance," said Major Cecilia Duncan, U.S. Army.
