NEW YORK (WABC) – The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began Thursday morning in New York City with a persistent rain that added ponchos and umbrellas to the array of balloons, floats and star-studded performances.

The annual holiday tradition included new Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, zoo and pasta-themed floats, appearances by Jennifer Hudson and Idina Menzel and more.

The parade was briefly interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters who stopped the parade at Sixth Avenue and West 55th Street.

The NYPD quickly moved in and made arrests before the parade continued.

The lineup for this year’s parade was a far cry from the original incarnation a century ago, which featured floats depicting scenes from “Mother Goose,” “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf,” “Miss Muffet and the Spider” and other fairy tales.

However, some things remain the same. Just like in 1924, there are lots of brass bands and lots of clowns, followed by the grand finale where Santa Claus rides through Manhattan and ushers in the Christmas season.

This year’s parade featured 17 giant helium-filled character balloons, 22 floats, 15 inflatable novelties and traditions, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups, award-winning singers and actors, and the WNBA champion New York Liberty.

A new float spotlighted Rao’s food brand and featured a knight and a dragon in battle, made from real pasta elements. Another celebrates the Bronx Zoo’s 125th anniversary with depictions of a tiger, giraffe, zebra and gorilla.

“The work we do, the opportunity to impact millions of people and bring joy for a few hours on Thanksgiving morning is what motivates us every day,” said Will Coss, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade .

The parade began at 8:30 a.m. on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and ended 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away around noon at the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, which serves as a stage and backdrop for performances.

The rain hasn’t stopped anything — the parade has only been canceled three times, from 1942 to 1944 during World War II — but organizers monitor wind speeds during the celebrations to ensure the large balloons can fly safely.

Temperatures are over 20 degrees Celsius, it’s raining all morning, and the wind is blowing around 10 miles per hour (16 km/h), which is well within the acceptable range for Snoopy, Bluey, and their friends to take to the air allow. New York City law prohibits Macy’s from flying the full-size balloons when sustained winds exceed 23 miles per hour (37 km/h) or gusts exceed 35 miles per hour (56 km/h).

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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