Paul Frank’s sock puppet-inspired simian Julius The Monkey makes its debut as a 41-foot-tall balloon at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2011 in front of millions of spectators today.

Sporting a jetpack, Julius joins 14 other giant balloons, including fellow newcomer B., a freakish creation from filmmaker Tim Burton. Video game character Sonic the Hedgehog returns after an 18-year absence.

The helium heavies were inflated on Wednesday across the street from the western side of Central Park. Thousands of people, many families with children in tow, were drawn to the spectacle of the balloons lying as if asleep on the streets, held down by weighted nets.

Standing in front of the famed Snoopy balloon, lying on its side, eight-year-old Emilio Rios said he was glad that there was something to keep the helium giant from getting away.

“Otherwise, it would float up to space, and aliens would see it,” Emilio Rios said.

“They would be the ones with the parade.”

Lindsay Ravetz, 9, said she loved seeing all the characters

“It’s just, like, cool,” she said.

It was cool even for many of the adults. Brooklyn resident, Leslie McCarthy from, who said she’s over 60, has been attending the parade since she was a little girl. And the excitement of seeing the big balloons hasn’t worn off.

“I used to think this parade was put on for me,” she said.

Paul Frank's sock puppet-inspired simian Julius The Monkey makes its debut as a 41-foot-tall balloon at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2011

Besides the popular giant helium balloons, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade also is expected to feature more than 40 other balloon creations, 27 floats, 800 clowns and 1,600 cheerleaders.

Organizers say Mary J. Blige, Cee Lo Green, Avril Lavigne and the Muppets of Sesame Street will participate, some taking the stage at the end of the route in Herald Square and others performing on floats.

About 3.5 million people are expected to crowd the Manhattan parade route on Thursday, while an additional 50 million watch from home.

National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Morrin said a storm was expected to speed away by Thursday morning, leaving mostly sunny skies and 10mph winds, well below city guidelines for grounding balloons.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade spokeswoman Holly Thomas said officials were monitoring the weather.

“The flight of our giant character balloons is based on real conditions about an hour before the parade begins and not advance forecasts,” Holly Thomas said in an email.

“There is no indication in any current weather models that the flight of these balloons will be affected.”

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 77th Street and heads south on Central Park West to Seventh Avenue, before moving to Sixth Avenue and ending at Macy’s Herald Square.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade got its start in 1924 and included live animals such as camels, goats and elephants. It was not until 1927 that the live animals were replaced by giant helium balloons. The parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944 because rubber and helium were needed for World War II.

Since the beginning, the balloons have been based on popular cultural characters and holiday themes. Returning favourites this year include Buzz Lightyear, Clumsy Smurf, SpongeBob SquarePants and Kermit the Frog.

Also making their first appearances at this year’s parade are a pair of bike-powered balloons, one featuring a bulldog character and an elf balloon designed by Queens resident Keith Lapinig, who won a nationwide contest.

All the balloons are created at Macy’s Parade Studio, and each undergoes testing for flight patterns, aerodynamics, buoyancy and lift.

Over 12,000 cubic feet of helium to keep the new Julius the Monkey balloon afloat, which stands 41ft tall.

Also making their first appearances at this year’s parade are B., a freakish creation from filmmaker Tim Burton, a pair of bike-powered balloons, one featuring a bulldog character and an elf balloon designed by Queens resident Keith Lapinig, who won a nationwide contest

24 hoses and 20 tons of sand were used to tie the inflated characters down before the big event.

Organizers say Mary J. Blige, Cee Lo Green, Avril Lavigne and the Muppets of Sesame Street will participate, some taking the stage at the end of the route in Herald Square and others performing on floats.

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