Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2008: An 82 year American tradition

EarthCam ( http://www.earthcam.com/), the world's premiere webcam network and leading provider of webcam content, ushers in the holiday season with its annual live webcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The parade, in its 82nd annual version, is recognized internationally as the official start of the holiday season. Seven EarthCam cameras, including one streaming video system with audio, will capture all the excitement of the multi-story balloons and the colorful floats unfiltered in real-time.

Exclusive webcam locations in and around Times Square will bring visitors their own viewpoints as they choose cameras. Positioned to transmit the exciting live views of Shrek, Horton the Elephant, and Buzz Lightyear, among the 25 giant balloons, the webcams will show the Thanksgiving Day parade from 9am-12noon ET. Following the live event, EarthCam archives will be available offering a variety of views that highlight the parade line marching through Times Square and down Broadway.

On Thanksgiving morning, after the turkeys are safely in the oven but before the green bean casserole preparations begin, a 400-lb. inflatable Buzz Lightyear will travel 2.5 miles down the streets of Manhattan — from 77th Street to Macy's department store at 34th Street — in its inaugural Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade march, er, float.

3.5 million people will crowd the streets for the parade's 82nd annual run, while another 50 million households will watch from home. Twenty-eight floats; 10 marching bands; and hundreds of clowns, acrobats and cheerleaders will accompany Buzz and the other new balloons: Dr. Seuss's Horton elephant and a Smurf.