NEW YORK – A century after the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the annual holiday tradition begins Thursday in New York City with new Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, zoo and pasta-themed floats, appearances by Jennifer Hudson and Idina Menzel and more more.

This year’s star-studded lineup is a far cry from the parade’s original incarnation, 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. As in 1924, there will be 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 features 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 will spotlight food brand Rao’s and feature a knight and a dragon in battle, made from real pasta elements. Another will celebrate 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 begins at 8:30 a.m. on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and ends 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.

Rain or shine, the parade has only been canceled three times, from 1942 to 1944 during World War II, but organizers will monitor wind speeds during the celebration to ensure the large balloons can fly safely.

So far the weather forecast is predicting rain with temperatures around 40°C and wind speeds around 10 miles per hour (16 km/h), which is well within the acceptable range to send Snoopy, Bluey and their friends flying. 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 parade will air on NBC with hosts Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker and stream on the network’s Peacock service. Carlos Adyan and Andrea Meza will host a Spanish simulcast on Telemundo.